Agricultural Technology, Definition, Types and Uses

Introduction to Agricultural Technology

For the past few decades, scientists and technologies have been brainstorming on the best machine, device, and tool that will make agricultural activities easy and efficient. Farming activities are very tedious hence technology is needed in agriculture to reduce the drudgery associated with agriculture and make work more effective and efficient.

Many modern, state-of-the-art technologies and advanced machines are employed in agriculture to increase agricultural production. Agricultural production is fast changing from substance agriculture to modern agriculture with the use of sophisticated devices, machines, and methods on the farm.

These agricultural technologies are needed in every aspect of farming operation i.e. from land surveyed and mapping, land clearing, employed in building, land preparation, planting, livestock rearing, crop and animal protection, harvesting, and processing.

Agricultural technology refers to the application of scientific knowledge and principles in agriculture to increase agricultural production. Agricultural Technology also involves the use of devices, machines, and methods created with scientific knowledge to boost farming operations. Agricultural machines and implements such as tractors, bulldozers, shellers, incubators, planters, sprayers and implement ploughs, harrows, and other couple implements are designed with the help of technology.

Technology in agriculture is gradually shifting from the uses of conventional farm machines and devices to smart devices and equipment such as drones, robotics, mobile devices, global positioning systems (GPS), satellites, software, and artificial intelligence (AI). These new waves of technologies help to monitor field productivity, collect data from the farm, aid soil testing, improve security, spray herbicides, and contribute to food production.

Planning, directing, and management of certain activities can be achieved with the help of technology for crop and animal production. The utilization of technology in agriculture helps to boost agricultural productivity, improve farm security, aid precision farming, assist in making informed decisions, and increase farmers’ income.

Importance of Technology in Agriculture.

The importance of technology in agriculture production cannot be overemphasized. Some of the importance of agricultural technology, as highlighted by onovinsinfo. com are:

Make Farm Work Efficient and Convenient: Agricultural technology aims to reduce the drudgery and difficulties associated with farming. Agricultural activities are so tasking and time-consuming. However, the prevention of modern or smart technology in agriculture has made farming work more efficient and convenient. Agriculture is constantly advancing and the need for food production has prompted the invention of new agricultural innovations and devices to boost agricultural production. Activities such as irrigation, fertilizer, pesticide, and other agricultural activities can be effectively carried out with ease. Additionally, these advanced agricultural technologies allow users to carry out these farming operations precisely and without minimum effort.
Improve Crop Production: Technology in agriculture has helped to develop better farm machinery such as tractors, bulldozers, and other facilities to help improve crop production.
Soil Testing and Crop Analysis: Technology in agriculture has helped design various devices, equipment, and laboratory apparatus for soil testing and crop analysis.
Cultivation of Large Expanse of Agricultural Land: Machines and implements such as tractors and implements, bulldozers, shellers, incubators, sprayers, drones, and other devices have been agricultural technology to increase the cultivation of a large expanse of agricultural land by reducing drudgery in farming.
Efficient Storage and Processing Facilities: Agriculture technology has helped in the construction of storage and processing facilities to preserve the shelf lives of agricultural produce.
Efficient Farm Management System: Smart technologies such as drones, GPS facilities, mobile devices, and more have been designed to collect data and improve the farm management system.
Reduce the Emission of Greenhouse Gases: Smart-friendly technology in agriculture has been invented to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Renewable energy /climate-friendly facilities have also been developed to reduce the intensity of global warming.
Precision Surveys Instrument: Precision survey instruments such as GPRS and satellite devices have helped design precision land surveys and farming instruments for better boundary demarcation and survey activities.
Dissemination of Agricultural Information: Information collection and dissemination of devices such as mobile devices, satellites, mobile application software, and artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture can help boost agricultural production and develop and disseminate agricultural information.
Efficient Agricultural Protection Facilities: Drone, and precision spraying instruments have been invented by agricultural technology to help designed animal, and crop control facilities to help improve agricultural management on the farm. More so, precision spraying instruments have been invented to control weeds and eradicate parasites in the farm
Precision Weather Forecast Facilities: Smart Weather Forecasting Facilities in agriculture have produced been produce agricultural technology to help meteorologists and climatologists help forecast day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere. This information is available to farmers to avert uncertainty in farming.

Examples of Agricultural Technology

The examples of agricultural technology available in the enterprise are

Farm machinery (Vehicle)
Drone
Robotics
Smart sensor
Mobile devices
Satellites
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Artificial intelligence (AI).

Farm Machinery (Vehicle) Technology

This is the use of farm machinery and implements in carrying out farming operations. Machines such as tractors, bulldozers, Shellers, planters, sprayer, incubators, and their implement or accessories are needed in performing certain farming operations. These machines have made agricultural activities very easy, increased the cultivation of large amounts of land, increased output, and reduced drudgery in farming.

Uses of Farm Machinery (Vehicle) Technology.

These machines are used for the following

it is used in land preparation
it is excellent equipment for the cultivation of crops
they are used in spraying agrochemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, and other agro-chemical
they are used for harvesting of agricultural produce
They are used in carrying farm sanitation on the farm.
Transportation of agricultural produce
Some are used for milking, hatching, and drying farm produce.

Robotic Technology in Agriculture

A robot is an automatically operated machine designed, and constructed in humanlike form or appearance to perform complex tasks or substitute human effort. The advent of robots in agriculture has helped to reduce man’s exposure to toxic or obnoxious agrochemicals or operations on the farm.

These intelligent machines are created with precision to help humans in a variety of ways. In every aspect of farming different types of robots have been designed to help perform various operations on the farm. From land preparation, cultivation, maintenance, harvesting crops, processing assembling automobiles, packaging, uploading, off-loading, and delivering.

These human-like machines are enhancing agricultural productivity, improving safety, and efficiency. Smart agricultural Innovations are found insignificant in the applications of robotics in agricultural production to help deliver tangible results.

These robots are computer programmable to carry out operational activities on the farm, today robots can be used in every aspect of the agricultural sector to replace human effort.

Uses of Robotics in Agriculture.

Robots are increasingly becoming significant in agriculture due to their ability to provide precision in soil management, animal rearing, monitoring, crop harvesting, and processing of agricultural products. The uses of robots in the agricultural industries are:

they are used in agriculture for soil tillage
Excellent for the application of harmful agrochemicals such as liquid fertilization, and pesticides, to increase yields.
Appropriate for the fumigation of farmsteads and the environment
Use for the processing of agricultural products.
Use for uploading and offloading of agricultural produce.
Use for irrigation crops
Use in washing or cleaning the environment.

Agricultural Drone Technology

As food production has become the major factors that threaten human existence agricultural technology aims to produce more modern devices to help sustain agricultural productivity, and rescue food shortage. Drone technology has increasingly become more prevalent in agriculture industries.

Drones refer to small or medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that consist of cameras, batteries, and sensors and are controlled remotely to perform operations. This prevalence makes drones a veritable instrument in the agricultural industries for collecting data about unpredictable weather, irrigation, pest control, and disease control on the field. Drones have a huge impact on agriculture across the globe for effective management and data collection on farms.

The sensor installed on the drones makes it possible to scan fields above ground the ground level and provide evidence on the current challenges on the field such as the problems of pests, infections, and particular nutrient deficiency symptoms demonstrated by plants on the field.

Uses of Drones in Agriculture

In the agricultural industries, the uses of drones cannot be over-emphasized as they provide server benefits on the farm. Some of these benefits are:

It is an excellent device for farm surveys by capturing the image of the boundary, landscape, and contour of the farm.
It can be used for spraying agrochemicals such as liquid fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and more on the farm.
It is an excellent tool for providing irrigation to crops
It is an excellent device for collecting data that are useful by farmers in planning and determining the area of the farm to cultivate to achieve possible outputs.
It is an excellent device for monitoring the health status of crops by monitoring certain nutrient deficiency, pest, and disease symptoms demonstrated by plants.
It is very appropriate to monitor the growth of weeds on the farm
It can be used to ascertain the performance of crops in the field and predict future yield.
It is used in the farmstead to monitor the farm against theft, fire outbreak, and other uncertainty.

Smart Agriculture Sensors

Smart Agriculture Sensors are devices, tools, and equipment used to monitor and collect data on the performance of crops, animals, and equipment on the farm.

There are various sensors used in the agricultural industries for performing various activities on the farm they are soil moisture sensors, electrochemical sensors, mechanical sensors, optical sensors, and temperature sensors.

Farming activities such as soil testing, temperature monitoring, and soil pH. measurement and plant canopy expansion can be effectively monitored and measured with the aid of the smart sensor in the agriculture industry. Decision-making in commercial farms has been very efficient in on the farm with the use of smart agriculture sensors. Many stakeholders in the farming industry rely on agricultural sensor technology for reliable information needed for decision-making.

Agricultural sensors as reliable as it be have some limitations that limit their potency in the agricultural industries. Data collected from these sensor technologies can vary from one area to another, it requires proper calibration for relatable and accurate information, and it might capture whole environmental factors.

Uses of Smart Agriculture Sensors

The uses of the Smart Agriculture Sensors as a paramount device in agricultural technology are:

It is used to detect the PH status of the soil
It is an excellent tool for detecting the soil fertility level.
It is used to detect soil moisture levels on the farm.
It is used to measure the texture and compactness of the soil.
It is an excellent tool for monitoring plant canopy expansion and biomass at harvest.
It can be used to collect data related to soil temperature, humidity, and light.
Smart Agriculture Sensors is used for collecting data on greenhouse, and carbon dioxide levels of the soil.

Global Positioning System (GPS)

GPS is one of the precision agricultural technologies that is used for farm surveys, planning, soil sampling, and guidance of certain farm machines. The GPS is a multipurpose device used in the agriculture enterprise to determine the precise position, velocity, and distance between points.

The device is a veritable tool for assessing the performance of crops and animals on the farm as well as making critical management systems. The tools work with the aid satellite, monitoring station, and receiver to navigate and provide precise information to the users.

Uses of Global Positioning System (GPS)

The following are the uses of the Global Positioning System (GPS) on the farm

Excellent tools for determining soil sampling
Use for carrying out soil surveys and farm farmstead planning
Use for controlling and guiding farm machinery
Use monitor the performance of plants and animals on the field.
Excellent for yield mapping on the field (i.e. helps to ascertain expected yield outcomes)

Satellite Remote Sensing Technology In Agriculture

Satellite technology in agriculture is unmanned aerial vehicles used for taking images of agricultural activities, analyses, and providing data needed for decision-making. Satellite remote sensing is used in taking photos of agricultural fields as well as analyzing the information based on the data collected.

Satellite sensors in agricultural industries help farmers monitor, measure, and record the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface for further analysis and effective management of resources. Remote sensing technology makes use of drones, and unmanned devices to capture images for the effective operation of agricultural activities.

Uses of Satellite Remote Sensing Technology in Agriculture

The following are the uses of satellite imagery in agriculture. They are

It is an excellent device for measuring and recording electromagnetic radiation from the environment
It is used to track the growth level of crops and animals on the farm
It is used to monitor and access the unreached area of the farm
It can used to monitor certain indications in the farm such as pest infestation, moisture content on the field, and crop water stress.
It is used in meteorology stations to ascertain the weather conditions of the atmosphere.

Mobile Technology in Agriculture

This refers to the use of mobile devices to access information and materials needed to improve agricultural productivity. Mobile technology such as smartphones, mobile apps, drones, computers, sensors, and more will help farmers monitor crop and animal performance in the field, control the irrigation process, and carry effective farm records.

Mobile applications in agricultural enterprises are currently expanding agricultural production by acting as a catalyst to improving farm productivity, access to quality information, and improving farmers’ standard of livelihood. Access to agricultural innovations and technology in every rural community across the globe is possible with the expansion of mobile agricultural technology.

Uses of Mobile Technology in Agriculture

The uses of Mobile Technology in Agriculture include

They are excellent tools for monitoring crop health, soil moisture content, and pest infestation on the farm.
They are used on the farm to minimize wastage of agricultural resources.
They use it to access information about the weather, market, and innovation for improving agricultural production.
Mobile Technology such as phones and computers are used to access information between the farmers and extension agents to solve farming relation problems and improve productivity
Mobile Technology such as phones, computers, and drones can be used in precision irrigation systems on the farm.
Computers and smartphones can be used to record daily activities on the farm so as to make wise decisions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology in Agriculture.

The advent of Artificial intelligence in agriculture has helped in the transformation of the agricultural sector from subsistence agriculture to smart-driven agriculture.

AI in agriculture involves the use of computer algorithms to analyze information related to weather, soil quality, and crop yields to improve agricultural productivity. Many AI-driven agricultural technologies such as A. I drone, AI robots, AI satellites, computer engines, automated irrigation systems, and more can be used effectively to promote agricultural productivity.

Uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology in Agriculture.

The following are the uses of (AI) in agricultural development.

AI is an excellent tool for analyzing soil conditions such as soil moisture and soil nutrient
It is an excellent tool for monitoring plant health such as pest and disease infestation, plant stress, and nutrient deficiency on the farm.
It is used to monitor growth and plant biomass on the farm
AI-driven tools such as automated irrigation are used to minimize water wastage and improve crop yield.
AI robots and drones are used to control the menace of weeds, pests, and diseases on the farm
AI tools such as robots and computer-assisted machines are excellent for harvesting crops on the field.