With the increasing improvements in the field of technology, many of these technologies and techniques are being tried out and implemented in agriculture.
Many types of research are going on, exploring the different possibilities of technology in agriculture.
All these come under the concept of precision farming or agriculture.
Precision farming is also called satellite farming or site-specific crop management (SSCM) since the conditions affecting the farm and the plants on it are monitored using technology devices to be able to respond quickly to changes and manage the farm well for better yield.
There are many different varieties and types of precision farming that are being used.
Sensors, robots, satellites, IoT, weather in modelling, Nitrogen modelling, GLS, mobile devices, etc.
Let us now look at some of the various types of precision agriculture.
Implementation of Internet of Things in Agriculture
One of the most common trends in recent days is the Internet of Things. This is something which is seen in almost all industries now.
No wonder it has shown its presence in agriculture. It is the concept of connecting any type of device to the internet or connecting the devices where there is an off and on switch present.
This entire network can include even humans as well as wearable technologies.
Many such appliances are already in place and some of them are used in houses to make them a smart houses.
This is used to increase the security in homes too. In terms of agriculture, this technology can be used to implement field sensors.
With sensors in place, the data regarding the soil, weather updates, temperature, etc can be tracked easily which can be used for monitoring the crops.
This technique can also be used in monitoring the entire field and in releasing the fertilizers or pesticides at the said time.
With the updates like the low power wide area network, now there is an option to carry these kinds of small data over long ranges and even in places where there is a minimal network.
Precision Agriculture with Mobile Devices
Right from the basic use of calling someone and asking them to come to the farm, too, analyzing technical data, the involvement of mobile devices in precision agriculture is huge and unavoidable.
The world today has changed a lot after the invention of mobile phones. Cell phones are even segregated into smartphones and tablets now.
With this increase in this market, many kinds of research are still going on trying to explore the possibilities of maximizing the benefits of mobile devices in agriculture.
There are many technical data that are being monitored and tracked with the help of cell phones which are being used by the farmers to know the condition of their fields.
Weather for Precision Agriculture
In the case of farming and agriculture, one of the most important and unpredictable concepts is the weather.
While there are weather trackers available in various sectors now, it has high applications in the field of precision agriculture too.
Quality weather modeling is done in this type which will help in monitoring the weather and help in achieving better crop yields.
When it comes to the concept of expanding the tracking methodologies in agriculture, a lot of data modeling happens.
This is also connected with the growth of the crop, soil properties, water level, etc.
With the right weather condition, the optimal temperature needed for the crop can be tracked and maintained.
For bringing the best quality crops, the right temperature and weather conditions are important.
While this temperature varies for each crop, the respective temperatures can be tracked and maintained individually.
The soil reading can also be taken effectively and it can be done remotely which is not possible otherwise.
Irrigation in Precision Agriculture
Since the demand in the crop supply is increasing and the resources are getting exhausted, the need for innovative technologies is in demand now.
In the case of irrigation in precision agriculture, there are several challenges like drought, water depletion, etc.
With the innovation in irrigation related to precision agriculture, farmers are now able to monitor and remotely control all the irrigation operations.
This will save a lot of time and resources like water and fuel.
With this type of precision agriculture, the irrigation rate, weather data, and moisture in the soil can be monitored with the systems in place.
With the improvement in this technology, the resources are not wasted and more water is being delivered into the soil which will reach the root level.
This is possible as the drip lines will be able to reach the soil level.
Since it has a uniform pattern the water will be distributed evenly here.
