Over the decades, the traditional practices of agriculture have been transformed. The increasing population and scarcity of land has invoked people to get creative and efficient. Using the available land to its optimum level has become vital. Previously, people were reluctant to adapt to the technological improvements. However, now it is mandatory that they accommodate to these advancements in order to survive in the industry. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, etc. have emerged to bring evolution to various industries.
The artificial intelligence (AI) technology is supporting different sectors to boost their productivity. The AI solutions have helped overcome the challenges faced by several industries and now it is steadily making its place in the agriculture sector too. AI technologies have a sizable impact on the agriculture sector. It has helped the sector grow in various ways, and here are some of them:
AI helps Improve Harvest Quality
AI systems are helping improve the harvest quality and accuracy, which is known as precision agriculture. AI technology assist’s in detecting the diseases in plants, pests, poor plant nutrition, etc. It also allows the farmers to monitor the health of the crops and the soil. This helps the farmers control the harvest quality. Computer vision and deep learning algorithms are captured from flying drones over the field. With the use of image recognition approach, the possible defects can be identified from the images captured by the camera.
AI Tackles the Labour Challenge Problem
Most of the farmers are facing workforce shortage, as very few people are entering this profession these days. Farms need large number of workers seasonally, especially during the harvest season. Numerous people have moved to cities, leaving fewer people in the villages. AI provides one solution to farmers called AI Agriculture Bots. These bots help by reducing manual labour and also, various other ways. The bots can harvest crops in higher volumes and at a faster pace than humans. Having a computer leverage, the AI bots can work more accurately than human beings.
AI Forecasts Weather Data
A computer model helps forecasters predict the possible weather threats. AI detects rotational movements in clouds from the satellite images that may have gone unnoticed. It helps the farmers to stay updated with the weather forecast. This helps the farmers to increase their yields and profits with lesser risks. It also assists the farmers to take precautionary measures in times of storms, floods etc. AI facilitates smart decisions to be taken at the right time.
AI Decreases Use of Pesticides
AI is used to manage weeds, pests etc. By implementing machine learning, robotics, and computer vision, AI gathers data related to weeds and analyses the places where weed is present. As the farmers know where the weed is actually present, so they use pesticides only there. This process keeps the actual crops away from pesticides, making the crops healthier. Pesticides are toxins which are not only harmful to the crops but also to humans. The soil, water, or any other vegetation can be contaminated by the use of pesticides. Thus, AI reduces the amount of pesticides used in agriculture. The cost incurred for pesticides can also be reduced this way, which could mean more profits for the farmers.
The impact of AI enables a support system to the farmers. It assists them in predicting the outcomes they never imagined. Artificial Intelligence is helping the farmers to monitor their crops without the need to invigilate personally. It is redefining the traditional farming methods and making agriculture smart over time. The agriculture sector will witness drastic transformations with the advanced approaches that AI brings along.
-Shreevarshita Gupta
