By Justin Platt, Founder & CEO, Zylem and RegenZ
AGRITECH is a growing industry in today’s connected world, and it’s time for today’s farmers to harness its potential for improved decision-making, production, access to markets, and new investment opportunities. The implementation of smart farming technologies helps producers and growers to achieve the highest potential in their farming activities, and, if you’re farming isn’t getting smarter, you’re getting left behind. This article looks at five technological devices set to revolutionise agriculture in 2023 and beyond.
#1 Smart soil health measurement tools
We recently engaged with PES Technologies to learn more about the future of soil health measurement. They’ve developed a tool that turns soil testing into a five-minute process. The device is hand-held and battery-powered, controlled using a smartphone app. You can analyse soil samples right then and there in the field without any sample preparation.
#2 Cloud-based data platforms
Cloud-based platforms like Continuum Ag’s TopSoil Tool are able to aggregate soil health data and deliver unbiased recommendations to provide farmers with direction and freedom to make agronomic decisions that drive higher yield and higher profit along with environmental sustainability.
#3 Handheld bio nutrient spectrometer
A bio nutrient spectrometer is a hand-held device that can be used to measure the nutrient density in food and crops, along with carbon in the soil.
#4 Satellite crop monitoring
The main advantage of aerial satellite imagery is its ability to provide a bird’s eye view of your farm, helping you gain big data to manage multiple fields, cut costs on resources and make reliable decisions.
#5 Drone imagery
Drone-based data is superior to on-foot inspections since drones can use thermal and multispectral imagery to deliver data at a level unseen to the naked eye. Combined with artificial intelligence (AI) analysis, drone imagery can provide actionable data on plant health in near real-time so that farmers can optimise and protect their yields.
Armed with this data (quite literally) in the palm of your hand, you can use this technology to increase yields and reduce costs. Failure to do so is, quite frankly, the equivalent of using a Nokia 3310 in 2023.
