Automation in Farming & Agriculture

In this post, we will understand the concept of automation in farming and agriculture.

Automation in Agriculture

Industrial automation is gradually raising its need in almost every field of the world. One such field is farming. Automation is gaining much demand in the farming sector.

Farmers can reduce their manpower and time in irrigation activities and thus increase productivity. This makes the task easier and faster for them to increase the production of farm products.

We will see some of the technologies used for automation in farming.

Data Control through Acquisition and Robotics

A robot is of great use in studying the nature of the plant and seeing its health.

Robotics are fed data through central data systems and as a robot studies a plant, it analyses the data of the plant and the soil with the central system and makes a decision on what to do with the plant.

The same thing if done by a farmer would take time and also, there would be some chances of misreading the information.

Robotics helps the farmers with accurate information and helps them in dealing with the plant. It gives proper predictions and accurate trends.

Smart Sensor Control

Several sensors are spread throughout the farm like level, pH, conductivity, etc. which helps in accurately controlling the field operations.

All the sensors are connected to a central computer and this helps in determining the working parameters of the field.

If the farmer gets proper information on the water properties and quantity, he will be able to decide how much water to feed to several sections of the farm.

Autonomous Tractors

Just like automated guided vehicles, autonomous tractors find great use in the fields.

Through central control, it irrigates and controls every part of the field accurately and more efficiently.

They just need a predefined path and they will travel on it properly and reach the designated parts properly. Sowing and yielding capacity are increased to a great extent as human errors are reduced in a big way.

Drones

As we know the use of drones, they are of great use too in the farming sector. They hover over the whole farming area and give information regarding insects, pesticides, use of fertilizers, crop condition, etc.

Due to the quick transfer of images and videos to the central computer, the farmer gets proper information on what is happening on the farm and troubleshoot if any issue occurs.

Advantages of Automation in Farming

Now, let us see some advantages of automation in farming.

Increased efficiency of labour

Due to the use of automated machines and systems, manpower is reduced to a great extent and costing is also reduced. Less manpower with increased use of machines means fewer errors and the farmer can increase his production activities in a faster way.

Increase in quality of products

As the time is reduced with greater accuracy, it is ensured that the quality of the products reached to customers is of high standards. Also, the farmer gets time to review all his products and conditions and make some changes required accordingly. This yields more quality.

Conclusion

Overall, in the whole world, farming automation is in its initial stages and under development. It is used only somewhere and is under research. The technology discussed in this post has been used elsewhere where research has been completed.