The digital age is already a reality for most sectors in the Brazilian economy. Over the years, technology has enabled the expansion of traditional markets and the creation of new ones. Such transformation is no different in the field, since in recent years, farmers have been able to follow the development of technological innovation in agribusiness.
Agriculture 4.0, also called digital agriculture, uses computational methods and analytical solutions to build support systems for decision-making. This technology contributes to increase productivity rates, reduce labor costs, improve quality of work, and reduce the impact on the environment.
With so many benefits, knowing and understanding technological trends for agribusiness is essential for producers that wish for sustainable crop growth.
Below, we have prepared an article with the sector's main innovations and explained how they can contribute to the growth of your business. Enjoy!
Understand the technological revolution in the field
Global forecasts point out that, in the next 50 years, humanity's main challenges will be food, water, energy, the environment, and poverty. Because of this, agriculture has been under strong pressure to guarantee food security for all and to offer sustainable production methods.
The global prediction is that the world population will reach 9 billion in 2050. However, in contrast with this growth, we have seen a scarcity of resources such as land and water, in addition to sudden climate changes and other external occurrences.
Because of that, at a time when the focus is on increasing productivity without increasing the planting area and costs of production, more and more technological innovations will play a strategic role in agribusiness. And this is not just something for the future: the technology used in the field until now has been critical for Brazilian agriculture to reach the current level.
Generally speaking, the genetic evolution that allowed the development of transgenic plants was a big step. Brazil was the first country in the world to develop transgenic sugarcane. The use of genetically modified seeds brings benefits to the producer, such as production costs reduction, ease of management—pest and weed control—and productivity increases.
Other than that, the surge in satellite image usage has brought greater precision to agriculture. This innovation made it possible for farmers to identify—in a matter of seconds—which areas have the highest productivity and which are being most affected by pests and diseases, or even failures in the irrigation system.
On the matter of machinery, we have also taken great strides in recent years. Nowadays, machines are much more accurate and energy efficient. This means their emission of polluting gases has been much lower. In addition, innovations related to machine intelligence have made it possible to develop tractors with autopilot, which represents a major advantage for the producer in terms of efficiency since it reduces operator fatigue and offers greater precision in crop management.
Discover the biggest technological innovations in agribusiness
Technological innovations have helped rural producers and businesses to optimize and improve their operations. Below, we present the main trends for the sector.
Artificial Intelligence
Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already being used in the field, this tool still has a lot left to be explored. Guilherme Guiné, project manager at Solinftec, explains: "Artificial Intelligence has great potential. So far everything we put in for it to analyze, it has given us new insights back, in addition to analyzing much faster".
According to the expert, AI can reach such a high level of efficiency that it can identify the best times to plant a specific species, based on meteorological analysis, the use of resources and the species' adaptation to the region's climate, which guarantees better results to the producer.
Guiné also warns us "this is not far from happening, it may seem in the distant future, but it is not." Also, the use of Artificial Intelligence focused on the needs of the field will allow for the development of many other technologies.
Automation and robotics
The idea of the field as something rustic and backward is an image that will become increasingly distant from reality. Innovations related to automation and robotics are entering everything in agribusiness. "We are going to see more and more robots in the field, whether aerial, terrestrial or micro robots with focus on genetic improvements", explains Guiné.
In the coming years, we will witness further development in the area of autonomous machinery and equipment. Gradually, driver's seats will give way to modules that are controlled by an operator outside the truck or by Artificial Intelligence itself. Have you ever imagined that? This is already much closer than we think.
Another stride in this area will be the automated irrigation projects. In addition to what we already have today, this process will have greater control over the amount of water according to the needs of each square meter of crops, always with correct timing. This can employ precision farming much more efficiently.
Drones
Drones are already present in many crops; they make monitoring the entire farm a lot easier. In the coming years, the trend is to further optimize the use of this technology. For example, a drone equipped with multi or hyperspectral cameras can diagnose each plant. This will provide huge progress for agribusiness, allowing access to much more complete and secure information.
In addition, drones are not dependent on fuel use, which reduces environmental impact and helps preserve soil and cultivation. This is essential for the crops of the future, as we will need more and more concern over sustainability issues.
Guiné also reinforces that, "when we speak of robots in the field, we are not only talking about big machines and tractors. A good example of this are drones themselves that, today, are already widely used in crops, and in the future will be even more prevalent."
Learn how technology can optimize grain production
As estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), it is necessary to increase production by around 70%. In this scenario, the use of technology, in conjunction with more sustainable practices, is not only a more profitable option, but also a necessity for the prosperity of crops.
Because of that, Solinftec concentrates its efforts on creating several solutions that make digital agriculture a reality. Thus, it implements different technological tools to extract value from the existing information, help farmers walk, or the most promising path in data usage, with the differential of doing so by taking the reality of each crop into account.
Thus, Solinftec delivers solutions that range from soil preparation to harvest. Through an agnostic platform, which connects all players involved in production—people, machines, manufacturers and climate information—, it creates a true intelligent ecosystem that is capable of providing insight for optimizing operations, rationalizing resources, and increasing productivity.
Finally, the focus of Solinftec is to make technological innovations in agribusiness available to everyone by using the IoT (Internet of Things) platform, which integrates data collected from on-board computers, weather stations, and digital rain gauges. This generates a lot of value for the business and gives the crop a competitive advantage of great relevance.
Did you enjoy this article? Are you interested in knowing more about Solinftec and taking advantage of all the differentials and advantages that technology provides to agribusiness? Contact us today!
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