The agriculture industry might be the oldest one, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t improvements to be made.
In fact, global warming, various shortages, and the COVID-19 pandemic encourage a number of changes within the industry. Because the agriculture industry is so tied up with the earth, concerns about how we can and should change the earth make farmers a little more cautious about the materials and processes they use for food production.
Whether you own a small family farm or a huge industrial one, here are the top trends to guide you in the coming year.
1. Biotechnology
Traditional farms must sort crops, as a percentage of all produce contains imperfections and flaws that won’t sell in a store. Imperfect produce is sold at a reduced price or used to make processed food products.
Quality produce obviously profits farmers. As a result, technologies that guarantee higher quality are growing in popularity. For example, biotechnology essentially edits the DNA and RNA of produce, giving it a better chance of reaching maturity with minimal flaws. By genetically modifying crops, bioengineering protects them from diseases and harmful outside influences like insects. Bioengineers can thus ensure a higher percentage of produce is free from imperfections and generate greater profit.
2. Water Management
The earth is 71 percent water, but more than 96 percent of it is in the oceans. This means there’s actually not much freshwater – which is essential for agriculture. In fact, the majority of available water is used in agriculture. As a result, water optimization has been and will continue to be a priority.
Artificial intelligence has proven useful for irrigation innovations; for example, sensors can detect leaks and malfunctions instantly and automatically. As a result, irrigation systems can be repaired sooner, reducing the water lost through leakage.
However, water remains such an essential part of agriculture that there can never be a single solution. Solutions to reduce water usage will continue to develop and improve throughout the coming years.
3. Vertical Farming
Vertical farming brings crop production to controlled indoor environments where light, temperature, humidity, and air are managed to optimize production of popular crops such as lettuce and tomatoes. Vertical farms can be built closer to urban areas where the majority of the population lives, increasing access to fresher produce and reducing the storage and transportation costs of such items.
This trend may reduce the amount of carbon emissions involved in trucking produce from warmer climates to those with shorter growing seasons and encourage people to purchase locally grown items in their own communities.
4. Data-Driven Decision Support
Several technologies can help to provide farmers with data regarding their soil make-up and microbe life, enabling them to make better, smarter decisions about their farms. For example, some technologies can support the production of safe, healthy food while protecting the biodiversity of the soil while others encourage nitrogen breakdown in order to access beneficial compounds.
Monitoring technologies that provide data about soil temperature, moisture, plant health, and nutrient levels can also help farmers determine actionable priorities on a regular basis. Much of this information can be shared and accessible through the Internet of Things, giving today’s farmers access to big data.
5. Pinpointing Agricultural Needs
When it comes to sustainability, farmers must find ways to more accurately use fertilizers and pest control technologies to minimize exposure and reduce waste while still boosting the quality of food production. Today, technology such as drones can support this accurate farming by planting seeds, injecting fertilizers such as nitrogen only where needed, and watering in an optimal manner. Such technologies will help farmers maximize yield with minimal resources.
GPS and other technologies can assist in accurate farming practices, providing the spatial and location data needed to drive more accurate usage of resources.
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6. Regenerative Agriculture
In staying with the theme of increased sustainability, agricultural practices will continue to find ways to close the production loop, returning nutrients to the soil through crop rotation and cover crops, working to minimize tilling, and using overall crop health to discourage disease and pests.
This conservation approach focuses on regenerating topsoil, boosting biodiversity, improving water usage, and increasing the health of the soil. A wide range of technologies and practices are included such as recycling farm waste, using compost from other sources, and employing no-till farming methods.
Finding ways to regenerate the soil must be done in order to increase food security and minimize the impact that the agricultural industry has on our overall environment, protecting the world for generations to come.
7. Rewilding
Related to regenerative agriculture, rewilding is a practice that works to restore an area of land to its natural state, which means replanting a diverse set of species in that particular area. This can encourage the growth of plants that are native to the area, making them more likely to survive and thrive. This not only beautifies the space but also provides cleaner air and water, restores soil nutrients, and mitigates erosion and the effects of extreme weather.
Rewilding also draws down carbon from the atmosphere through restoring areas such as peat bogs, grasslands, and wooded areas and helps wildlife adjust to changes in our climate and the overall environment.
8. Asset Operations Management
Although many of the trends in agricultural technology are designed to serve huge agricultural conglomerates, Asset Operations Management can give enterprise-grade functionality to any size farm. Asset Operations Management supports streamlined workflow, deeper reporting and analytics, resource optimization, and improved visibility and control.
As farms around the country seek ways to address seasonal and market demands, they will turn to Asset Operations Management solutions to help streamline their maintenance, reliability, and operations in 2023.
Conclusion
As farms of all sizes ring in the new year, these and other similar trends will dictate the priorities of the most successful ones. While many of these improvements are geared toward increasing the quality, yield, and profitability of farming businesses, a majority are also designed to help increase overall food security and minimize the impact on our environment.
