Did you know that there are more than 820 million people in the world that are undernourished? Many believe that this alarming statistic only applies to third-world countries.
The truth is that even the United States suffers from famine. The United Nations estimates that roughly 6.5 million American children do not consume enough food.ย
The solution to the global food crisis is producing more. Increasing food supply leads to cheaper prices and less famine.
Read on to learn about new agricultural technologies that are revolutionizing the farming industry. Explore 5 new technologies that are optimizing farming and increasing production.
1. Weather Tracking
Inclement weather is one of the great risks to farmers. A late cold front can wipe out crops and result in significant losses.
Big leaps in weather tracking technology are helping farmers to mitigate this risk. With advanced notice of inclement weather, farmers can take action to reduce losses.
2. Sensor Tech
Farmers are increasingly using sensors to monitor farm conditions. There are commercial sensors to monitor everything from air, soil, and water.
The objective of using sensors is to lower food prices by efficiently using resources. For example, the soil is monitored to ensure that it contains an adequate supply of nitrogen.
In the past, farmers fertilized on a strict schedule whether it was necessary or not. Now, the fertilization process is based on real-time data and requirements.
3. Genetically Designed Food
This topic sounds like something out of a science fiction novel. However, genetically designed food is likely to hit commercial stores in just a few years.
Here, we are talking about lab-grown meat. It involves the engineering of new strains of food animals and plants. This action is certain to increase the global food supply.
4. Vertical Farming
The amount of land available to traditional farming shrinks by the day. This is especially true in more developed countries with surging population levels.
The solution is vertical gardens, which allows farmers to produce crops in stacked layers. There are so many benefits to this technological advancement.
For starters, stacked layers allow crops to be produced in an urban setting. This reduces costs as transportation is eliminated. It also brings fresher produce to the community.
5. Pervasive Automation
Advancements in automated tech are lowering direct labor costs on the farm. Instead of using human labor, farmers are using robotics or artificial intelligence to complete some tasks.
Examples of automated tasks are self-driving balers and tractors. Other agricultural processes becoming automated include harvesting and fruit picking.
Automation is also helping reduce material cost on seed, fertilizer, and herbicides. One popular automated feature is variable rate swath control.
This feature computes the shape of the field and measures crop productivity in different areas. The material is then distributed based on the automated model.
A Recap of New Agricultural Technologies
New technology is the worldโs best hope of solving the global famine crisis. Automated technologies and lab-engineered food are great examples of how scientists are increasing supply and reducing cost. Farmers need scales! You can find all types of farming scales atย farmersmarketscales.com.
If you enjoyed this article about new agricultural technologies, check out our education blog for other great content.
