How innovative technology is solving the complications of modern farming

How innovative technology is solving the complications of modern farming

07 November 2022

It’s no secret that technological solutions like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and drones are transforming how we live and work. The growth offered by these solutions is welcome news for many, as it helps them to fine-tune their services and rise to customers' ever-changing needs. But for one industry, the stakes are much higher.

 

Farming is something we all have in common; it puts food in our stomachs and, therefore, underpins our survival. But the farming industry faces a range of modern issues that it must overcome to survive - and technology is the answer.

 

The global population is estimated to exceed 9 billion by the middle of the 21st century, meaning there are more mouths to feed than ever before. In many areas across the globe, workforces aren’t matching this rise, a shortage which causes a burgeoning pressure on farmers to increase their productivity whilst reducing human labour.

 

Additionally, climate change means natural resources are diminishing. As we face more extreme weather conditions like drought, flooding, and heat waves, many areas of land will become unsuitable for farming. The industry must learn to make more from less, and that’s where smart farming comes in.

 

Smart farming uses IoT, AI, robotics, and drone technology to increase crop yields whilst reducing the need for manual labour. It’s helping farmers to combat a range of modern issues, from worker shortages to changeable climates.

 

These innovative technologies are game-changing if implemented correctly, but one huge challenge that farmers often face is connectivity.

 

Mostly, farms are based in remote, rural locations spread out over large areas, so establishing a robust and consistent connection with devices and sensors has proven problematic.

 

What they need is a fast and powerful solution. The answer? 5G Wi-Fi. Providing low-latency connectivity, 5G has the potential to connect 100 times more devices per square kilometre than 4G and move data 100 times faster.

 

These poweful networks support the automation of repetitive and labour-intensive tasks like spraying pesticides, weeding, and mowing. Take 5G-operated autonomous tractors, for instance, which can replicate several of these activities.

 

As well as reducing the risk of human error and keeping farmers at a distance from potentially dangerous chemicals, these automated 5G-fuelled solutions increase productivity without requiring human labour. Simply put, 5G is ushering in a new era in the history of modern farming, and it’s all based on connectivity.

 

But what good is connectivity and automation without healthy produce? Farmers require precise and timely information on the condition of their crops but keeping an eye on every field is often impossible - especially on larger farms with reduced workforces.

 

Drones are an ideal way for farmers to observe all their fields and crops at once. They use sensors and high-resolution cameras to build comprehensive models of the farming land and collect information on plant health and count, disease, pests, fertilisation, weed, drainage, and water. Through this data, farmers can spot issues and adjustments made straight away before crops are lost.

 

Like the 5G-automated tractors, drones can also facilitate precision farming tasks like spraying, protecting plants, and sowing. Not only does this save farmers time spent working in the fields, but also money on equipment.

 

Drones are the ideal tool for farmers and agronomists to assess the health of their crops, as they can give farmers an overview of their fields and collect data much faster and more efficiently than traditional methods.

 

So we’ve established that efficiency, automation, and connectivity will help farmers increase their productivity, but what about the looming impact of climate change?

 

Unpredictable weather, changing temperatures, carbon footprints and increased resource consumption dramatically impact agriculture. Although farmers cannot control the weather, they can learn to work with it.

 

Smart IoT technologies offer a functional, modern, and sustainable approach based on sensors, communication, GPS, and analysis that gather data about their environment and use it to make decisions.

 

For instance, they can decide the best place to plant seeds based on soil quality, depth, and moisture levels, the rotation of crops based on historical information, or when and where to distribute water. They can even use predictive analysis to augment the number of crops in a year.

 

By implementing IoT technologies like these, farmers can expect less crop waste, higher yields, fewer resources, and manual labour. Everyone wins.

 

At Ingram Micro UK, we know better than anyone how innovative technology is already shaping the smart farming industry - and we can see its future potential too.

 

We offer a wide range of flexible solutions and will always provide the right equipment for the environment, be it mobile devices, cloud-based solutions, network infrastructure, or rugged equipment.

 

Our broad portfolio of Professional Services encompasses the full lifecycle of a customer’s IT infrastructure and provides specialist expertise to ensure the delivery of quality solutions, and our maintenance services ensure your technology remains efficient and effective.

 

We always have one eye on the future. To us, that only means one thing: sustainability. With better packing, IoT monitoring, the most efficient products, and IT Asset Disposition, we’ll help you get the most from your equipment - and reuse or recycle it wherever necessary.

 

If you want to learn more about how we could help you with smart farming solutions, contact us via phone at 0371 973 3000 or through our website: uk.ingrammicro.eu/contact