Technology: How Drones & Mapping are Helping the Modern Farmer

With the development of ever more automated and ingenious technology in agriculture comes the sense that we are on the precipice of another agri-revolution. The last one, in the 18th century, was driven by the desire to increase production levels to the direct expense (albeit not knowingly) of the systems that naturally supported production in the first place. Now, some 250 years later, the next revolution is poised to deal with the shortcomings of the last, to address the ramifications from policies and developments that now threaten our very existence.

The major challenges we face today, climate change, biodiversity loss, soil infertility, soil erosion, depleted fresh water stocks, sea level rise (and acidification), increased efficacy of pests and disease, mass extinctions in the natural world, polluted water ways and large-scale habitat removal to name but a few, are all coming to a head. The next revolution will have to both protect and improve our natural resources, as well as increase production levels to cope with a swelling population.

Technology and automation can provide some incredibly innovative and exciting solutions to these challenges. As a specific example, drone use offers the chance to accurately map soil conditions across the farm. This allows the farmer to apply applications sparingly, and only where necessary, reducing the amount of application used, improving the farms economy and protecting the environment. Another example can be found in the use of crop protection programmes designed to allow a drone to fly over crops checking for early signs of pests or disease. The early identification of such an issue allows the farmer to easily deal with the problem as an isolated case, protecting the other crops from treatment (where before the whole field may have been treated) and avoiding costly whole-crop losses. In summary, early indications show that technology has the power and potential to transform agriculture for the greater good, for greater environmental provision, for greater production levels and for greater welfare for animals unfortunate enough to be stuck in the current system.

There is, however, a rather large BUT standing in the way as technological developments and automation tell but half the story. The human side to this presents further challenges. The demographic of the farming community in the UK puts the average age of a farmer somewhere between 50 and 70, an age group which historically has evidenced a significant lack of digital literacy and a propensity for risk aversion. The uptake of technology in agriculture so far has reflected as much. The other challenge facing agri-tech is the public perception of agriculture and farming itself. Seldom will teachers encourage pupils into farming, particularly so if they evidence a skill in one of the ‘core’ subjects that relate directly to school leagues. The difficulties in attracting young, intellectual and innovative minds to the industry are only now being identified as limiting factors to the spread of agri-tech and of climate-smart and genuinely innovative agricultural practises the country over.

So, there we have it, agriculture is being squeezed so tightly that a revolution is around the corner. Agri-tech poses a potential solution to many of the issues surrounding environmental protection, increasing production and farm/labour safety. The farming demographic in the UK is perhaps uneasy with the speed of such drastic changes catalysed by agri-tech. And finally, public perception of agriculture as a career does little to attract the kind of people necessary to carry through technology into an archaic industry, bringing with it new ideas and fresh impetus to boot. The future of farming depends, surely, on its ability to increase production whilst improving natural resources/conditions. Agri-tech stands alone as a beacon of hope.  All Images © Trelonk Ltd

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