The agricultural sector has long exhausted the possibilities of direct increase of sowing and other areas. Even the effect of the "green revolution" of the middle of the last century has almost disappeared. Meanwhile, it is necessary to feed and supply the steadily growing world population with non-food agricultural products. The point is not only in quantitative addition of volumes, but also in qualitative change of the agrarian sphere appearance. Only at its cardinal transformation, comparable on a level with wide mechanization in the first half of the twentieth century, it will be possible to solve the arising difficulties.
Smart technology for agriculture
But smart agriculture is not just the introduction of new mechanisms and apparatuses, technological methods. It is also thriftiness in all respects. Thus, the current situation differs from that of half a century ago:
decreasing access to fresh water;
rising cost of energy resources, fuel;
severe shortage of personnel;
significant degradation of crop lands
The same water resources should be used much more rationally than ever before, and banal austerity will not solve the problem. It is necessary to act with enormous flexibility, adapting to changes in the natural environment. Automation of the industry is a full-fledged answer to such challenges, a way to quickly take into account all the subtleties of the moment. Real digital farming begins where information is collected in real time, reacting immediately to every change, even anticipating and pre-empting it.
yields;
soil moisture and temperature;
plant condition;
condition of the surface air layer;
fertilizer application;
irrigation;
the health of livestock and poultry.
A carefully considered approach means that not a drop of fuel, not a bit of pesticide, not a minute of labor time will be wasted. Informatization of agricultural production will make it safer for people and the environment. In the conditions of fierce competition for prospective personnel, only increasing the technological efficiency of farms and field farms can, on the one hand, curb the outflow of employees and minimize the number of employees with previously unattainable efficiency, on the other hand. It is also worth emphasizing the solution of an important social problem: the actual erasure of the boundary between urban and rural areas in terms of living conditions. What could not be accomplished with the tractor and combine harvester is becoming a reality with the use of digital technologies.
The harsher the climate becomes, the more frequent the extreme weather events, the greater the need for high-performance technology. Experts have long established that excessive soil compaction is responsible for at least 20-30% of crop losses. But it is digitalization that reduces the frequency of machines going into the field, which means that their tracks and wheels will not tamp the ground unnecessarily. It has been established: the more sensitive the territory, the more sensitive the soil environment is to external influences, the higher the benefit from the introduction of methods of controlled movement on the fields.
This is not the first year that the introduction of unmanned devices has been unfolding. They are moving from direct control of machines to remote control - and this immediately provides a number of advantages:
Ordinary work is easier, faster and more economical;
an up-to-date picture of what's going on is formed quickly;
the problem area is instantly recognized, which is treated with poisons and fertilizers in a precise and dosed manner;
the terrain is assessed in detail, even in densely overgrown areas that are difficult to access;
preventing agrochemicals from reaching plants that do not need them;
combines the implementation of protective measures and real-time assessment of their effectiveness.
Overflight of a field, meadow, orchard or forest is much faster than a detour or even a detour. This method is much gentler on useful crops. An important advantage is an accurate assessment of the contribution of each employee of an agricultural enterprise: it is clearly visible what the state of affairs is in his or her area of responsibility.
However, the widespread use of UAVs is hampered by:
the need to attract highly skilled operators;
dependence of the obtained result on the capabilities of the technology and software;
short range of flights;
frequent recharging of batteries;
mandatory flight permits, often with restrictions on overflight in certain areas.
It is also possible to increase manufacturability by cultivating plants in smart greenhouses. Even the most diligent manual work disturbs the stability of the environment, making labor costs higher and efficiency lower. If industrial electronic technology is utilized, however, efficiency increases dramatically. Sensors monitor all the necessary parameters and special devices react to changes, so that human presence is rarely required. Even if intervention is required, remote commands are usually sufficient.
Smart technology for agriculture
It is not just about direct automatic control, but also about the use of digital platforms. They provide maximum flexibility, so that instead of a "one sensor, one monitored parameter, one action" system (e.g. watering or ventilation), you can use a digital platform to control your farm. (e.g. watering or airing), an entire growing scenario is used. A properly designed system can increase productivity by at least 10-15% compared to the best traditional counterparts. Automation methods for both classical and hydroponic greenhouses have already been worked out, taking into account all the specifics of these variants. Agrarians can track events and estimate yields using mobile applications. Thanks to HVAC, operating costs are drastically reduced. The set of smart sensors is customized, taking into account the needs of a particular farm and even a single greenhouse.