'Smart agro', 'agrotech', agriculture 4.0… These are just some of the names used to refer to the emergence of technology in the field. The digitalisation of agriculture has brought with it the transformation of the agri-food industry with changes at all levels of the production process.
Technological advances in the field are mainly reflected in improved productivity, efficiency and cost savings. All of this is aimed at responding to one of the main challenges facing the sector: feeding a growing population by producing food in the most sustainable way possible.
Drones, aerial and terrestrial sensors, geolocation systems and artificial intelligence. These are some of the technologies that are being most widely applied in both agriculture and livestock farming in all phases of the process, from cultivation to production and marketing. They allow data to be collected in real time on the state of crops, the use of twitter data water, fertilizers, phytosanitary products... and to act in a more intelligent way. Thanks to these advances, it is no longer necessary to apply fertilizers, pesticides and even water identically to the entire field, with the cost that this entails. Technology makes it possible to know which areas or crops need them and to apply these products in specific areas.
According to a survey conducted by Munich Reinsurance America on drone use in the United States, three out of four American farmers use drones to assess, monitor and manage their farms. The majority use drones, specifically 73% of farmers use them to monitor their crops; 46% to analyse the condition of the soil and fields; and 43% to assess the health of crops and animals.
Advantages of technology in the field
Information is power. And in this area, it is data analysis that has important benefits. These include increased productivity of crops or livestock farms; reduced environmental impact of the activity; more efficient use of resources; improved crop efficiency; and time and cost savings.