Technology Advancements in Agriculture and Farming
20 Mar 2019Technology is changing the way the world does business. Agriculture and farming may seem far removed from the Silicon Valley and other technology supercenters, but that doesn’t mean technology has nothing to offer in these industries, though. In fact, if you’re not taking advantage of some of these technology advancements, you may be missing out on huge profit windfalls for your agricultural enterprise.
Why Do You Need to Take Advantage of New Technology?
Farmers work that land to make amazing things happen. Many of today’s farmers literally have it in their blood having worked for generations to make the land produce. Sometimes, change is hard, but there is no denying the good that can come from adopting agriculture technology, according to the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture who credits agricultural technology for a variety of benefits, including:
- Increased crop yields.
- Decreased use of fertilizers, water, and pesticides.
- Reduces impact on the planet.
- Fewer chemicals running off into rivers, streams, and groundwater.
- Improvements in worker safety.
These improvements manage to create opportunities for larger profits for farmers and agricultural businesses while providing essential food to consumers at lower costs. Everyone wins!
What Kinds of Technology Exists for Farmers?
It’s wise to explore the different types of technology advancements available to you before deciding which advances to adopt for your agricultural business or farm. Some of the technology you might consider include those listed below.
- Automation equipment. This includes things like milking machines, automated feeders, and even larger, more efficient tractors, planters, and combines.
- Climate control for barns. Not only does this help protect livestock from predators, but it also provides protection from extreme weather and diseases that could be spread by other animals or even humans. Some of these barns are even equipped with Wi-Fi enabled cameras allowing farmers to monitor the progress of their pregnant livestock and other issues remotely.
- Global positioning satellite (GPS). GPS technology brings many advances to the modern farm including the ability to recover important information about crop yields, soil suitability, planning crop rotations, assist with planning seed depth and spacing for maximum yield, and more.
Canton Daily Ledger reports that one farmer claimed his GPS system paid for itself in the first year by way of greater efficiency and crop yield.
GPS tracking technology for farms is also used to prevent farm equipment theft and recover farm equipment quickly in the event of a theft.
With technology paving the way for so many advances within the farming and agricultural communities, it is no wonder that is becoming an indispensable tool for use on modern farms and ranches of all shapes and sizes. How are you using technology to grow your business interests?
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