Agriculture has long been the backbone of a healthy civilization and with the capabilities technology currently offers, it would be irresponsible to not embrace an opportunity to unite both and maximize our efforts towards the improvement of sustainable farming.
One way to achieve innovative solutions is through the collection and evaluation of big data.
By harvesting the information collected by big data and parsing it into a functional, valuable format for examination, we can establish the groundwork for predicting future trends to benefit crop yield. With processed data, specific variables can be set to generate statistical models and research solutions for more complex inquiries through comprehensive, user-friendly results.
Consolidating information into measurable analytics, big data enables us to see the big picture.
Why Should Big Data Be Used in Farming?
Like any other business model, there’s a bottom line to farming, making it necessary to cut costs in order to drive profits. However, due to the sheer volume of variables farming would need to account for, it’s tough to calculate a precise bottom line, which is where big data provides vital assistance.
The integration of big data makes cost estimations more feasible, enabling farmers to analyze their operations and determine how processes can become more productive and profitable.
Seeking to promote the value of big data use, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) started an initiative to connect agriculture and big data, facilitating extensive access to research data. Leading the digital revolution for farming, the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture strives to provide farmers with valuable guidance to usher in a new era for sustainable farming to confront issues regarding food security and world hunger.
In particular, the CGIAR Platform endeavors to improve sustainable intensification, enabling crop yields to increase without the amount of used farmland increasing. Generating more out of less, sustainable intensification maximizes agricultural efforts, resulting in more food and a reduced environmental footprint.
Unifying established agricultural fieldwork with modern data collection tools, the CGIAR Platform is developing models to analyze data in a manner that presents farmers with a better idea of how to manage their practices and enhance their crop yield. Leveraging big data in agriculture provides a fresh perspective on effective farming processes, which can be used to stimulate positive change in our efforts to transform food production.
Converting Data Into Decisions
Collecting data is simple enough, but extracting it into enriching, valuable information that can be used to effectively shape one’s decision-making is more challenging. Ultimately, big data has to be standardized and converted into accessible statistics for it to be beneficial.
Inefficiencies in farming have caused enormous economic costs, but emerging technologies are capable of providing solutions, as the market for precision farming tools is anticipated to grow as much as 14% by 2022 in the U.S.
Sensors can now collect data on soil, water and wind conditions. Drones can survey fields for potential problems. Specific plants can be monitored to check on their nutritional intake. For urban farmers, big data could be used in conjunction with the Internet of Things to drastically streamline modern farming practices.
Addressing agronomic issues while providing sensible educational tools to develop viable farming solutions, Precision Planting is a provider who has demonstrated their aptitude for converting data into meaningful advancements. Reviewing the existing machinery farmers have, Precision Planting maximizes their capabilities through smart products focused on enhancing planting, liquid application and harvest operations. Adjusting to these smart technologies is not only simple for farmers, it also saves them time and money without sacrificing the quality of their agricultural work.
Enabling farmers to analyze data to increase their production and profits, Precision Planting ensures that planted seeds sustain superior crop yield.
Big Data Provides a Brighter Future for Farming
If it’s properly harnessed and parsed into functional, meaningful information, big data offers a revolutionary solution for improving our perspective on sustainable farming. Allowing us to maximize agricultural efforts, the collection and analysis of big data can generate higher crop yields while igniting an opportunity to modernize farming for a brighter future.
