From horse-drawn plows tending to fertile fields long into the night, to combines wider than the stables of now-retired plow horses, advancing technology has always blazed the trail of the Agricultural Revolution. We’re on a fast-paced race into a new era of sophisticated farming. Artificial intelligence, or AI, comes to the heartland with new applications and tools to make farming more profitable, safe, and sustainable.
No, we’re not talking about robot companions walking around your fields. But autonomous robots may one day handle rote tasks much faster than a human can. And that’s just the beginning.
Beyond the mechanical aspect of farming, health and safety regulations play a role in advancing technology. Farmers find themselves with the challenge of increasing quality but maintaining quantity. Consumer interest in sustainability and conservation means farmers are considering their footprint now more than ever. How does a modern day farmer monitor these things to affordably deliver a superior product?
Growing Food to Feed the World
Ever-changing technology has given farmers new perspective into their 12,000-year-old industry. We maintain the same basic practice: grow food to feed the world. While it sounds simple, technology affects many components of farming and production. We have seen improvements in tools and production, as well as increasing efficiency.
With every invention and provocation of change, some skeptics remain resistant to new ideas. One hurdle in the adoption of AI in farming lies with the fear of the unknown. There is fear that there will be farming jobs eradicated, gut-instincts challenged, and tradition tested.
Skepticism of the Unknown
Farmers, founders, and foodies alike can find both potential and risk in adopting AI. When money is tight already and the world is changing fast, farmers hesitate to risk any further loss. Others see how data collection and analysis could give help them make predictions on pest and disease outbreaks based on the weather.
Initially, very limited information was available to the owners of farms other than “there’s an app for that.”The price to bring in when asking about artificial intelligence-driven water management tools like WiFi and sensor-based irrigation systems is steep. Making a major investment can feel out of reach for many.
AI Becomes More Mainstream
As time and technology progress, larger companies adopt these systems, lowering the cost to the average farmer. Easy-to-use online tools provide farmers with probability maps and calculators. You can predict hardiness temperature and soil moisture deficits as easily as checking your email. While there is no replacement for getting out there and walking the fields, a drone can provide a birds-eye view of crops unreachable on foot. Aerial views of water supplies and hedgerows provide insight on future construction and expansion. Sensors in the ground can read levels of chemicals and minerals, sending data back to the farmer to make adjustments. Computer vision can see individual weeds and spray them precisely without harming crops.
No longer a figment of science fiction, AI has given perspective to the importance of technology in the continuing evolution of modern agriculture. While we nudge closer to perfecting the art of Agra, we must remember the unpredictability in the weather and prepare the possibility of natural disasters like flood and drought. The Broerman Insurance Agency was founded on the importance of risk management through first-hand experience as farmers themselves.
Artificial intelligence utilizes data and research to revolutionize the industry and increase your output. The Broerman Insurance Agency wants to ensure the legacy is there for generations to come to benefit by offering farm and crop insurance as well as various protection products.
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