So now that we have a basic understanding of how Big Data is used in Smart Farms, we can dive into the specifics and its benefits on the earth.
The agriculture industry faces the serious issue of feeding the world’s growing population in more sustainable ways. Fertilizers and pesticides are used to improve crop yields. However, misuse of these products and lack of awareness of sustainable practice pose dangers on the environment. Big Data gathered from devices on new farming equipment allow farmers to produce more and waste less.
Agronomy expert Tanja Folnovic writes the highlights of the environmental benefits are:
- Monitor the soil and plant physicochemical parameters
- Achieve optimal conditions for plant growth
- Obtain field data in real time
- Provide better information for management decisions
- Reduce pollution by using fewer chemicals
Smart Farming goes beyond Precision Agriculture by using Big Data to hone in on real-time assistance. Devices are integrated into new farming machinery to provide real-time assistance such as in sudden change of weather, disease outbreak, market data or benchmarking with other farms. The goal of Smart Farming is to improve agricultural yield and reduce possible environmental risks.
The industry often receives backlash for its environmental effects, but with Smart Farming the ecological footprint is reduced, the earth is more sustainable and consumer acceptance is boosted.
By: Megan Engel
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