If you want to feed the world in 2050 ,then next 30 years we need to produce 58% to 98% more than the present and that gives a indication of the pressure on the food system.We are facing a formidable challenge with a growing population with the changing consumption behavior of the climate.As a result, security of the food production becomes the burning question in the contemporary world.The real secret to solve this problem is sustainable production with less inputs,less fertilizer,less pesticides,less water.Otherwise we will destroy our planet.
Let me tell you a story of a magical world which has an unexpected food super power.A magic was created where machines will think , take decisions according to the situation and perform the task like humans do.This super magic is known as artificial intelligence.The agricultural sector is chanted by the magical spell of AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Suppose it’s a hot and sunny day and you realize you need to drink lots of fluids to help you to be comfortable while you work.On the contrary,you would not notice that you haven’t a sip of anything in hours on a cooler day.All living beings including plants live each day at a similar fashion.The difference is noted that humans and other animals could go seeking for water and other fluids while plants rely on water to come to them in form of rains or irrigations.Plants are stationary and voiceless.Hence,they can neither ask for more water when thirsty nor stop drinking it when saturated much like other species clamps have different water needs based on their growth stage and environmental conditions and died till water helps to utilize nutrients keeping the crops healthy and resistant to pests.For this reason,the farmers needs to listen to it’s crop’s speech and that’s what the cultivate water management system does.It enables the farmer to listen and understand the crop water needs every single day.Using IOT devices such as soil moisture,sensors pulse,powered water flow sensors,pump control humidity and temperature sensors and sophisticated crop models that learn the cause and effect of the environment on each crop.The cultivate water management system helps an ideal watering of different crops based on their specific daily needs .The wireless sensors constantly monitor the weather and send data to the cloud.An artificial intelligence powered algorithm a water schedule and triggers a battery operated low energy valve to control the flow of water based on the availability of power provided by the motor sensor while measuring the water flow using a battery-operated wireless flow sensor.Such precision watering helps in significant increase in crop yield ,conserving water and substially reducing the need for manual labour excessive fertilizers and pestilence been built ground to operate under different farm conditions while keeping it affordable.
Intelligent robots are contributing to agriculture to a great extent.They are harvesting crops, ploughing lands and what not.They are the best alternative to low-skilled domestic workers.They are comparatively faster than them.”Vgebot”,a lettuce harvesting robot,has two cameras.One camera scans the lettuce and gives a thumps up or down for harvesting.A second camera, positioned near blade,then guides the pick without crushing plant.Meanwhile, a machine learning algorithm teaches the robot to avoid unripe or disease lettuse.
Goldoon is an intelligent device that acts as a base to preplotted plant .It uses AI to learn user watering behavior and understand external factors that may affect how water a plant need.Over time the goldoon can take control of watering the plants through an attached pot.
Weed control is an important part of the farming.plants can resist weed killer chemicals .But the customers are really adverse to chemically treated food.So,it can’t be a perfect solution.Thats why weed killing robots with artificial intelligence is introducedUsing AI,they make difference between the plant and the
weeds.
From the kindergarten ,we have leant that pesticides mixed with rain water and fall into water bodies.Thus the pesticides pollute water.But this generation has a smarter way to solve it.Pesticides spraying drones detect pest and spray pesticides on them.Besides,farmer may get a high resolution picture with the help of drones.There are many apps in smart phones which will detect the disease or what nutrients do the plant lacks seeing the plants.Drones can help in this case by clicking photos .
Any UAV pilot who wants to fly a drone that weighs more than 55 pounds at takeoff (including cargo) needs to petition for a special exemption through the F.A.A. That means non-exempt farmers who want to drone-scatter seeds over their acreage are limited in how many pounds of seed they can spread in a single run. Still, a number of manufacturers have developed drones marketed specifically for that purpose.
UAV system international sells two drones that spread seed and fertilizer, one with a payload capacity of about four pounds and another with a roughly 11-pound payload. Both have a two-mile flight range and a 20-minute limit, according to the company. UAV also markets crop sprayer drones and surveillance drones that inspect crop health.
One of the major advantages of robots is their flexibility to perform a variety of tasks and applications in any environment. They are more precise and consistent than people. They increase production and profit margin, as they can accomplish tasks more quickly. Robots can work 24 hours a day since they do not need holidays, sick days, or breaks. They also make fewer mistakes than people and save time. Robots eliminate work that is dangerous to humans.
All these qualities make robots with AI the perfect choice for agriculture, especially as farms grow in size. Traditionally, agriculture requires numerous repetitions and hard labor with considerably low speed for planting, irrigation, fertilization, monitoring, and harvesting a large area of crops. But today, a single robot can do all these processes with less dependency on human labor.
Advantages of aI in agriculture:
1.The robots are not getting sick or tired, and the time off is not needed
2.With higher speeds and closer tolerances, they can operate with fewer errors.
3.They make fewer errors and operate at higher velocities and higher quality.
4.The robots can reduce the use of pesticides by up to 80% of the farm.
5.In different fields, robots are more efficient and can work around trees, rocks, ponds, and other obstacles easily.
6.For technicians, the robots can create jobs that can fix the robots.
7.The robots can deliver products of high quality and lower the cost of production.
8.Robots gantry can function as both fertilizer or liquid sprays and, most importantly, as an automatic self-control system that meets weather conditions.
9.They can be small in size, allowing to accumulate near-crop data and perform mechanical weeding, mowing, spraying, and fertilizing.
10.Robotic cameras and sensors are capable of detecting weeds, identifying pests, parasites or diseases, and other stress. Usually, the sensors are selective and are only used to spray on the affected area.
11.Robots with AI provide an opportunity to replace human operators with a good return on investment by providing effective solutions.
Disadvantages of AI in agriculture
1.It costs a lot of money to make or buy robots.
2.They need maintenance to keep them running.
3.The farmers can lose their jobs.
4.The robots can change the culture of the emotional appeal of agriculture.
5.Energy cost and maintenance.
6.The high cost of research and development.
7.Lack of access to poor farmers.
Artificial Intelligence make the world smarter.It also make us smart in food production.By using this technology,we will be able to feed the growing population.Although AI has negative sides,we should use it properly to modernize our agricultural sector .So it’s really a blessing for us.