AI, big data and blockchain are some of the expensive tools that are necessary for precision farming, but their contribution to cost-effective and greener agriculture is making them essential to any farmer wanting to produce food for world markets.
Autopilot systems, GPS receivers, and mapping, yield monitor systems, drones, NDVI imaging, weed sensors, automatic section cutting, variable dosing, AI, blockchain, big data... so many technical terms raining down on modern farming that even pioneers of direct seeding could not have imagined, 30 years ago.
The first thing any producer or contractor will tell you is that automatic pilots and variable rate seeding and application (VRA) are now established as basic requirements.
These applications must now be incorporated in any new machine, and have a great impact on the efficiency and quality of field operations.
Diego Villarroel, a precision farming specialist at the Manfredi agricultural testing station in Argentina's central province of Cordoba, told the Tech Crunch website: "Autopilot systems are a highly adopted technology. As the signal improves, those processes will see a significant progress."
The most widely sold technologies he cites are seeding control monitors, satellite mappers and yield monitors, though he says operators need more training in their use.
In the quest for higher production with lower costs, another increasingly used tool is weeds sensors that apply products with precision and assure savings of up to 90 percent in inputs while reducing the environmental impact.
There are also electronic dosing systems for seeding machines, which boost the speed and precision of work. Besides crop farming, intensive livestock farming is also adopting these technologies to boost efficiency and quality.
Villarroel explains that drones make it easier to monitor extensive areas and allow early detection.
Others think that satellite imagery not drones pictures are the up-and-coming source of information.
Another instrument quietly gaining adepts in data gathering is the so-called SmartFirmer, a soil sensor fixed to the planting machine, to scan conditions like moisture or temperature prior to seeding. One expert says it collects much detailed, updated soil data compared to overhead or satellite images.
