Agriculture: Growing Technology
Surprise! Agriculture spawns more development in technology than one would probably think. Increasing regulatory involvement, advancement in technological capabilities, and the rising food demand are all making it necessary for farmers and ranchers to find better and more efficient methods of production.
More than ever, investors and start-up firms are concentrating on this purpose - creating applications, linking existing technologies, and inventing programmable equipment and practices. The fairly new field of Precision Agriculture is changing how agriculture operates - advancing connectivity of devices, systems, and services - ushering in the age of near complete automation. These new technologies are allowing agricultural operators to access real-time in-field data, remotely operate water and waste management systems, decrease waste, utilize natural resources in a substantial fashion, and maximize crop productivity.
Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are furthering advancements in this field. Defined as uniquely identifiable, embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure that are able to connect to, communicate with, and control other systems, equipment, or smart devices.
For more information on how IoT innovations can benefit Agricultural operations, please visit: http://venturebeat.com/2014/12/07/surprise-agriculture-is-doing-more-with-iot-innovation-than-most-other-industries/
Sensor technologies, often utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), are also assisting in high-accuracy crop production. Although current FAA rules prohibit using UAV for commercial use, the opportunities they present in optimizing agricultural operations is gaining attention and increased support from farmers and government agencies alike. The FAA is expected to release new policies by next year that would enable businesses to incorporate UAV into their operations.
For more information on UAV usage in agriculture, please visit some of our source sites:
http://farmingdrones.com/farming-takes-flight-drones-save-il-farmers-time-money-public-news-service/
http://farmingdrones.com/drones-hit-roadblock-on-path-to-become-farming-tool-business/
