Agtech, or agriculture technology, is the application of technology to agriculture with the goal of increasing output, productivity, and profitability for growers and producers.
Agtech refers to the use of technology, particularly software and hardware, to the field of agriculture. AgTech comprises a wide range of solutions for practically every phase in the food production process. For example, PlantTape, a Salinas, CA agricultural technology company, makes transplanting more than twice as efficient by largely automating the process.
For the past decade, farmers have been sluggish to adopt technology, owing to operational traditions and apprehension about investing dollars in innovations that are unfamiliar and, frankly, not certain to deliver a financial return. This perspective is rapidly shifting. According to a survey conducted by Research Hub, millennials will soon be responsible for 75 percent of technological transformation in the farm sector. And millenials are much more likely to embrace innovation than their predecessors.
Humans were able to raise agricultural productivity and food yields greatly thanks to mechanical tractors in the 1920s and the Post-War Green Revolution. Crop yields, on the other hand, have slowed over the last generation, and are now around half of what is required to meet projected 2050 consumption demand. Furthermore, the effects of climate change on soil moisture levels may put a strain on yields, not to mention estimates for greater severity of droughts and more frequent crop-damaging floods.
Entrepreneurs, technologists, and investors have discovered that technological solutions may economically be applied to ancient food production issues, given the nearly unavoidable unmet demand for food.
What exactly Is agtech, Anyway?
Farming and agricultural operations today are vastly different from those of a few decades ago, owing to technological breakthroughs such as gadgets, sensors, equipment, and information technology. Aerial photographs, temperature and moisture sensors, robots, and GPS technology are all commonplace in today’s agricultural operations. Agribusinesses can be more profitable, efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly thanks to modern technologies, precision agriculture, and robotic systems.
Precision agriculture could be worth nearly fifty billion dollars by 2025, according to some reports.
Any of the following could be used in agriculture technology:
- UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles—also known as drones)
- Pest and disease prediction and soil management using intelligent software
- Biotechnology
- Water Management aimed to increase plant production through efficient watering
- Sensors and IoT devices that monitor plant health and growth
- Weather forecasting and other big data activities applied to agricultural settings
- Food quality and safety tracking in the grocery supply chain
Taking agtech to the next level
As more young farmers take up farming, agriculture technology is becoming more and more prevalent among growers. In this industry, modern technologies are continuing to improve agricultural efficiency and productivity. Agribusinesses can be more profitable, efficient, safer, and environmentally friendly thanks to modern technology, precision agriculture, and robotic systems.
Agricultural technology and the environment
According to research published in 2012, worldwide agriculture is responsible for around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. And one alarming study claims, with good evidence, that present agricultural methods have the ability to drive the Earth past key warming thresholds.
Hopefully, new, more environmentally friendly agricultural technology solutions can bring humanity back from the bring…while providing enough food for all of us.