Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/898909
I have read so many ar cles of late regarding the technological advancements taking place in virtually every aspect of agriculture. To be sure, some ini a ves make sense and will no doubt revolu onize farming for the foreseeable future. The "Tractor" revolu on- ized farming in 1920 and it's fascina ng to me that my grandparents actually witnessed that and their parents (farmers in Indiana) actually farmed several hundred acres by hand, with the help of beasts of burden. That method had been used con nuously since man learned to grow his own food. Autonomous tractors (driverless) were first introduced in 2011 and will be commonplace in all farming ac vi es in the very near future. So while change may seem really, really slow coming in this area, I think we will see exponen al change soon and here are some startling examples: Drones in Agribusiness • Used for spraying crops, which is more economical, efficient and effec ve than a tractor or airplane. • Tes ng for new technology that the drone takes infrared images of plants, that can measure health, detect fungus, weeds, pests, etc. The same technology would then allow the drone to "spot" treat the affected area (instead of the field) and also "laser" burn specific weeds when detected. Smart Technology • Currently experimen ng with "smart" technology that can monitor soil (on a con nuous basis) and will dictate irriga on, fer liza on and provide vital informa on on the general health of the soil. • The driver behind all of this seems to be the popula on projec ons that are currently discussed. Today we are "adding" 3 people per second, or 240,000 per day to the global popula on. The world popula on is expected to be 8 billion by 2025 and 9.6 billion by 2050 and most of what we are doing is related to feeding the planet. This is primarily the same argument that led them into the science involving genomes and the advent of "super" pes cides, herbicides and insec cides with residual proper es, that most agree pose a poten al real threat to our food systems, ecosystems and health. All of this is very interes ng to me because I like to think I'm a good student of the cra , however the Page 52 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com