Importance of Technology To Agriculture
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IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY TO AGRICULTURE

Agricultural technology can be used in all aspects of agriculture, such as the application of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and seeds. Over the years, technology has proven very useful in the agricultural field. Currently, farmers can plant where they think plants would not grow, but this can only be achieved through agricultural biotechnology. For example, genetic engineering makes it possible to introduce certain sequences into other genes in crops or animals. The project improves the resistance of crops to pests, diseases and drought. Through technology, farmers can electrify all processes to achieve higher efficiency and higher yields.

There are restrictions on how to speed up the use and adoption of modern technology in agriculture, this can be associated to the fact that the acceleration of this concept contains a lot of knowledge and understanding of certain factors that influence farmers’ decision to use modern technology in agriculture.

  • Institutions, society, and economy are some of the factors that affect the speed or inertia of using agricultural technology.
  • Land area, technology costs and benefits are some of the economic factors that determine the pace of agricultural technology adoption.
  • Education level, age, social group and gender of farmers are social factors that affect the possibility of farmers using modern agricultural technology.

Smallholder farmers face internal and external challenges in using modern agricultural technology. This aspect illustrates the inertia of using these technologies. Regardless of the challenges, modern technology has value in agriculture is of utmost importance.

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE

Agriculture is a very important factor in generating income and food for many people around the world. In the past few years, the sector has undergone many changes and advancements in various agricultural methods and technologies. The methods of modern agriculture and agricultural operations are very different from decades ago, mainly due to technological advancements, including sensors, equipment, machines and information technology.

For example, today, inorganic fertilizers are used, less pesticides are consumed, and different tractors and machinery are used. Also, sophisticated technologies such as robots, temperature and humidity sensors, aerial photos and GPS technology. These advanced equipment, precise farming and robotic systems enable companies to be more profitable, more efficient, safer and more environmentally friendly. The availability of these inputs makes it necessary to use natural resources and processes to improve agricultural production and reduce costs. Farmers no longer need to apply water, fertilizer and pesticides evenly across the land. Instead, they can use the least amount and target very specific areas, or even treat different plants. Benefits include:

  • Increased crop productivity
  • Reduced impact on natural ecosystems
  • Increased worker safety
  • Decreased  use of water, fertilizer, and pesticides, which in turn keeps food prices down
  • Less runoff of chemicals into rivers and groundwater

In addition, robotic technologies allow for more reliable control and management of natural resources, such as air and water quality. It also gives producers greater control over the production, processing, distribution and storage of plants and animals, leading to:

  • Greater efficiencies and lower prices
  • Safer growing conditions and safer foods
  • Reduced environmental and ecological impact

Use of Technology in Agriculture

Technology has many uses in agriculture, including the following.

FARM MACHINES

One of the challenges facing farmers today is the need to meet labor demand. Labor costs continue to increase, which requires better methods to ensure reduced labor costs. The introduction of combine harvesters and planters simplifies the process. Yield and time are some important factors in agriculture. Therefore, it is important to sow as early as possible, harvest at the appropriate time, and ensure that the yield is stored at the correct time. The use of modern technology in agriculture can ensure that farmers grow large quantities of food in the shortest possible time. GPS technology has been used in the development of self-driving sprayers and tractors that do not require a driver. This technology is important in agriculture because it promotes better and more efficient farming methods. For example, self-driving tractors and sprayers are equipped with tracking systems that can eliminate human error and ultimately save fuel and equipment.

CROP SENSORS

The effective application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides remains a major challenge in agriculture, especially to determine which fertilizers work best under different scenarios, when to apply and how much. The use of crop sensors can make it easier for farmers to effectively apply fertilizers and pesticides, as much as the amount needed for crops. In this case, variable rate technology is very useful. This technology gives you the opportunity to feel the sensation of plants and then helps reduce the chance of leaching or runoff. The crops sensor is designed to specify the amount of resources required for a given crop and when to apply.

Crop sensors

GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS (GPS)

GPS is becoming a common technology in agriculture. For example, modern agriculture involves the use of GPS to document the status of the farmland. Through the GPS, it is easy to determine and document the yields from a given farm, as well as record the application rates. Such technologies are useful in that the farmers can rely on the collected and recorded data for reference when making any decisions. The recommendable documentation technology is the yield map, which can be used to offer a summary of entire year’s activities. Such maps are highly useful as they can give a wide range of information about just anything such as the status of the drainage system in your field.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is also known as genetic engineering, which is the process of improving the genes of cultivated plants. In most cases, genetic engineering can increase the resistance of cultivated crops to agricultural applications such as herbicides. According to biotechnology, farmers can cultivate in areas that were originally considered dry or barren. The reduction of farm inputs means that farmers will also increase the cost of agricultural resources.

CONCLUSION

The benefits of modern technology adoption in agriculture can not be exhausted, there is increased crop productivity, reduced impact on natural ecosystems, increased worker safety, decreased  use of water, fertilizer, and pesticides among many others. However, in order to achieve these goals, farmers need to understand the concept of modern farming and the use of technology.

 

 

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