10 technologies to help promote digital transformation in agriculture

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Digital transformation in agriculture is the process of applying digital technologies from production to processing, distribution and consumption of agricultural products. The fundamental difference between digital agriculture and traditional agriculture is the application of modern digital technologies to all activities of the agricultural sector, changing the way of managing, producing and consuming products from traditional to modern and smart.

Below are 10 modern digital technologies that are considered the most suitable to help promote the digital transformation of the agricultural sector in the future.

1. Robot:Robot applications in agriculturehave been deployed in practice by many countries around the world, typically some robots that perform the task of harvesting fruits automatically such as robots picking oranges, strawberries, tomatoes. Some types of robots are deployed on dairy farms to replace humans in milking cows. In addition, robots used in weed control and eradication, fertilization, seeding and crop monitoring are also widely used in the agricultural sector in many countries around the world. According to research results from the global market research company Market sand Markets Research, the global agricultural robot technology market reached 4.9 billion USD in 2021 and is expected to increase to 11.9 billion USD by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% in the period 2021-2026.

2. IoT and sensors: The ability to track live animals and products, detect health issues, and assess the environment inside farms or moisture absorption from soil in real time is of great value in addressing major challenges in climate/sustainability, animal welfare, and tracking in the food supply chain. The global market for IoT devices in agriculture reached $11.4 billion in 2021 and is forecast to grow to $18.1 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% during 2021-2026.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI applications in agriculture contribute to rapidly promoting agriculture by analyzing, monitoring and predicting various environmental impacts related to crop yield and quality. From there, supporting farmers to make and implement the right decisions about time and cultivation objects to minimize risks and maximize farming profits.

AI technology combined with IoT sensors are technologies that are being widely applied in the agricultural sector, contributing to sustainable development. In fact, AI has been applied in agriculture to help analyze data in real time, helping farmers detect and control pests; monitor appropriate water use, soil status and growing conditions; analyze crop health, predict cultivation time and make accurate decisions.

The global AI market in agriculture is estimated to grow from $1 billion in 2020 to $4 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.5% during 2020-2026.

4. 3D printing technology: The application of 3D printing technology in agriculture is contributing to improving crop yields, helping to limit the effort and production costs for farmers. Accordingly, 3D printing technology is designed into parts of the sprinkler system and solar-powered pumps, helping farmers reduce half of their daily working time compared to before. Moreover, this irrigation method uses less water than the previous manual irrigation method using buckets.

Another device that is also being widely used today is the weather forecasting station using 3D printing technology that will collect and transmit weather information such as temperature, rainfall, wind, storms, floods and other parameters so that farmers can decide when to sow, cultivate and harvest. Scientists hope that the above weather forecasting station will be widely installed in many developing countries, not only contributing to improving the agricultural sector but also helping people to take appropriate measures to cope with extreme weather phenomena, ensuring property and life.

5. Drones: Unmanned aerial vehicles (also known as drones) in agriculture have been put into use in many countries around the world such as the US, Japan, etc. to support farmers in growing rice and increasing productivity. The appearance of unmanned aerial vehicles has brought many benefits to farmers from sowing seeds, spreading fertilizer, irrigating to spraying pesticides with easy and quick operations. Drone technology can be used to collect valuable information in the agricultural sector such as observing and assessing the health of crops, helping farmers to prevent damage caused by pests, increasing productivity and profits.

Drones are predicted by experts to create a turning point in the agricultural sector worldwide. Because they are equipped with technology that allows farmers to do things that they cannot do quickly, such as detecting crop areas with pests, fungi or weeds for timely treatment.

6. Extended reality (XR) and the metaverse: Extended reality is the combination of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) to create richer, more immersive digital experiences. In fact, XR is being used to increase the level of interaction, allowing people to see a wider range of things than the naked eye can see. This can be valuable in crop, livestock and food production management and has the potential to improve health and ensure food safety.

Besides XR, virtual space is also being applied by many countries in the world in the agricultural sector, such as bringing agricultural product trading floors to virtual space to help agricultural businesses access advanced technology to promote products to the market.

7. Virtual Reality (VR): VR has been applied in many different fields from entertainment to medicine and science. Currently, VR is also penetrating into the agricultural field to help improve the productivity and production efficiency of farmers. Accordingly, VR will help farmers monitor and supervise the growth process of crops and the health of livestock in the virtual world, thereby verifying and predicting their unwanted changes, thereby finding effective solutions.

In the world, many countries have successfully applied VR in the agricultural sector such as the UK, Australia, the US, Israel... The potential of VR in agriculture seems limitless. And it is very likely that in the near future, all farmers in the world will be equipped with VR devices and other sensors to achieve the highest efficiency in the working process.

8. Blockchain: Blockchain is a block chain technology that allows secure data transmission based on an extremely complex and reliable encryption system. Blockchain can create transparency in a number of areas where consumers are often concerned about product quality such as medicine, alcohol, food, etc.

Blockchain in agriculture allows consumers to scan the barcode of a product in the supermarket and instantly see the entire supply chain from supermarket to farmer. Blockchain is seen as an effective and reliable tool to address consumer concerns about food origin and safety.

9. Data Analysis: Farm activity data is generated every day, which will not be effective if not analyzed. Therefore, applying data analysis to synthesize and select useful details will help agricultural production achieve the best results. Data analysis will analyze statistics on area, yield, crop forecast, land use, irrigation, agricultural prices, weather forecast, disease, water cycle... creating a foundation for the next crop. The power of data analysis can open up meaningful new insights for farmers and food producers.

10. Cloud computing connection: Cloud computing services use real-time connections to the internet to provide more flexible and economical resources. Not only in the world but also in Vietnam, cloud computing is being applied in the agricultural sector. Experts in the agricultural sector can use cloud computing applications to collect data on crops, weather, climate or soil in each area to monitor the growth process, make forecasts on farming trends, farming orientation or research and manufacture new plant varieties to serve farmers.

Management agencies use cloud computing to store data on crop types, land, productivity, output, etc. This information will help build an industry database system, serving the digital transformation of agriculture and rural development. The emergence of cloud computing applications promises to bring agricultural products directly from farmers to retailers and consumers. Information on the cloud also provides people with useful information updates on the market, weather, fertilizers, planting seasons, etc. to proactively conduct farming activities.

References

[1].https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/04/26/10-digital-technologies-that-are-transforming-agriculture/?sh=503488597baf

[2].https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/agricultural-robot-market-173601759.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlaqyicv79gIVFY_ICh2qYA-3EAAYASAAEgJSbfD_BwE