Modern agricultural techniques and innovations such as plant protection products, fertilizers and plant breeding have so far been successful in meeting the demands of the existing population. But we need a wave of innovation for a sustainable world and to produce the food that will feed the population expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Request; Five ways to feed a growing population.
Digital agriculture is a rapidly growing industry. Drones equipped with high-definition cameras that provide real-time images of crops and livestock are becoming more accessible and sophisticated. With this technology, pesticide applications can be made only to the plants that are needed.
Agrobots could be key to micromanagement of large farmland. Such autonomous robots can be equipped to inspect, sow, water, process and even harvest crops.
Each agrobot will make independent micro-decisions as it moves between individual farms, passing useful information to other agrobots and using them through machine learning. This technology provides an exceptional level of attention that can help maximize crop yields and minimize waste.
With digital sensors, drones and agrobots will be able to gather detailed information on everything from soil health and crop growth to weather patterns to the welfare and productivity of each individual animal. Future farms are likely to generate enormous amounts of data using complex big data algorithms to gain meaningful insights that guide decision making.
Big data with a farmer's hard-earned experience, which crop grows where, what struggles will be required, the best time to harvest; it will even advise on the best times to store and sell. This continuous analysis gives farmers unprecedented control over increasingly large tracts of land.
greenhouses
In the unpredictable weather conditions caused by climate change, greenhouses will help mitigate the worst effects by regulating temperature, water and crop nutrition in a closed and controlled farming system.
Greenhouses are already widely used to grow fruit and vegetables in cool climates. They can be used to efficiently grow crops all year round in large areas of marginal land such as the desert. Here, solar panels can generate electricity to keep greenhouses at optimum temperatures and for irrigation systems.
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Greenhouses built from special materials protect plants from strong winds, heavy rains, diseases and pests coming from outside.
Soil Fertility and Plant Health
Healthy crops need healthy soil, and the farms of the future will have to prioritize sustainable practices, let alone increase productivity.
Simple solutions such as cover, mulches and compost can play a crucial role in conserving water and building nutrients in the soil, especially on more marginal lands.
Precision farming will significantly reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides required for effective production, and specific mixes will be adapted to meet the needs of any soil. Soil mapping accurately matches plants and soil types, allowing multiple crops to be grown successfully in a single field. Thus, it provides a more balanced demand for plant nutrients.
The development of perennial grains that do not need to be replanted every year will promote a healthier and more stable soil structure.
The Right Foods
It's not just how we grow food that matters, but what food we grow can make a decisive difference. Only about 55% of the world's crop calories directly feed people. About 36% of these crop calories are used to feed livestock.
For every 100 calories of grain we feed the animals, we get 40 calories of milk, 12 calories of chicken, 10 calories of pork and 3 calories of beef. Meat is an excellent source of protein and vitamins and is an inefficient calorific distribution system. With current levels of food production, it is estimated that if we eat less meat and switch to a more vegetarian diet, we will produce enough calories to feed nine billion people.