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When Abraham Lincoln founded the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862, 90% of the U.S. population lived on farmlands and grew their own food.
Since then, the agricultural industry has experienced drastic change. Additionally, there has been a decline in the overall workforce responsible for feeding the world’s growing population – a decline so severe that today, less than 2% of the U.S. population works in agriculture.
Concurrent with the decreasing number of farmers is the increasing global population. Experts anticipate a population of 9 billion people by 2050, who will demand 100% more crop production.
Due to the unevenness of an increasing population alongside a decreasing agricultural workforce, the depletion of natural resources, a flux in climate change, and the increased knowledge consumers have of harmful chemicals used in farming, innovations within the agriculture space have boomed.
Agriculture technology, also known as AgTech, the integration of innovations in the old-fashioned agricultural process, has become integral to the long-term production and success of the industry. Today, agriculture is more than planting seeds, plowing land, and raising cattle; the agricultural ecosystem is being driven forward by a need to not only produce more, but to produce faster, cleaner, and better.
#AgTech is more than planting and plowing. It's the need to produce faster, cleaner, and better. Click To TweetSmart Farming Using IoT
Among the changes occurring within the AgTech field is the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. IoT, the world of connected and smart devices, is transforming agriculture by optimizing, monitoring, and enhancing production.
One way IoT technology is being used by farmers is for soil motoring. For farmers using IoT technology in their fields, they’re able to place cloud-connected sensors in the crop soil and monitor the soil from anywhere, at any time, and during any stage of the crops’ growth process. Through IoT integration in the soil, farmers are able to understand the composition of the soil, temperature, moisture levels, acidity, any air pockets that may exist, and the overall quality of the soil in order to optimize it to produce the most it possibly can.
Farmers are able to test the soil of a crop that grows best in low Ph and make changes if the soil’s Ph levels are too high. They’re able to restrain from watering the soil after testing it and understanding that it is hydrated enough, thereby saving water. The possibilities are endless.
By digitizing and automating production, IoT is helping revolutionize the harvesting and monitoring capabilities of farmers, saving them time and money, all while boosting production.
Using IoT to Deliver More
IoT is also being tested to fight pests, with the hopes of one day eliminating the need to use harmful pesticides. The technology tests the specific area of soil and if high pest populations are detected or a sudden rise is detected, pheromones are released into the soil. The innovative solution is proving to be an effective way to reduce the use of harmful products on produce, which are then consumed by consumers.
These innovative uses of IoT within agriculture give farmers the ability to monitor the composition of crops and alter them in order to create higher yields at a lower price point. A win for all.
Foreseeing the Future of AgTech
Integration of IoT is just the tip of the iceberg of how innovation can, and will, transform the agricultural industry.
In 2016, $3.23 billion was invested into AgTech innovations and there was an increase of 10% in the number of deals closed. The need for innovation is being driven by both VC’s, who recognize the market, as well as farmers, who are in need of technological support to meet today’s growing demands. As a result, more and more startups are shifting their solutions and adapting them to the industry’s needs.
Startups offering innovative solutions are looking to run proof-of-concepts with farmers and enterprises to digitize, connect, and offer holistic solutions, and enterprises are looking to collaborate with startups offering the next best innovations to help them get ahead and stay ahead.
Ultimately, the need for innovation in agriculture is not only wanted, it is needed, making enterprise-startup collaborations a natural step.
Innovation in #AgTech is needed, making enterprise-startup collaborations a natural step Click To TweetThe only question is – will these proof-of-concepts yield a successful solution in time to feed a population of 9 billion?
