Utilising technology as a tool to transform the agriculture sector to improve agriculture production and sustainability, as well as processing capabilities is more important now than ever.
Smart Agritech is the use of technology and technological innovation to improve the efficiency and output of agriculture. Put simply it is the application of technology to improve all elements of the growing process with more efficiently and with greater yields, whether they be in the field, in the garden or in the sea.
The benefits of Smart Agritech
- Pursue new ideas that can transform a business or the agriculture industry through innovation and productivity improvements
- Respond to opportunities that are driven by innovative, new ideas or meeting new market needs
- Facilitate better connections between producers, processors and customers
- Mobile app for proof of work and managing IoT sensor in the field by arborists or contractors validating service level agreements
- Reduce carbon footprints through new technology and more efficient processes assist in mitigating the impacts of climate change
An example of Smart Agritech in action is a soil sensor to measure moisture content and moisture flow.
We all know that plants need water to grow. But plants get stressed if they have too little water, or too much water. So the trick is to get the watering ‘just right’.
With the right amount of water, local councils, farmers, property developers, and landscape architects can achieve an optimum balance between plant growth and water usage.
Placing a smart sensor in the soil can communicate via the cloud back to the client about soil conditions at any one time, which could be hourly, daily or on demand. The immediate difference is the sensor is sending back live data, saving time and resources and providing a more predictive maintenance model.
By placing sensors in the soil, one can identify how water runs through the soil from the top to the root. With these sensors, one can quickly identify how far and how deep the water is percolating through the soil. If the water collects below the surface but above the root, then it means the roots may not be getting the nutrition. Equally, if the water is seeping far deeper than the root, it would indicate that less water is needed. Less water means less money, which is a good thing.
