The word agriculture comes from the Latin word ager = soil & cultura =cultivation.
Agriculture can be defined as The cultivation and/or production of crop plants or livestock products.It plays a critical role in economy of any country, by being a backbone of its economic system. In addition to providing food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to very large percentage of population.
Cited by FAO organization, lets have a look at the 2 major charts depicting;
- The share of diet energy derived from cereals,
- Major commodities consumption across the globe,
It is clear from above charts, that up to 2030, consumption is going to increase, which gives us an indication of surge in world population too. FAO also predicts that the global population will reach 8 billion people by 2025 and 9.6 billion people by 2050. A large share of the population is concentrated within the 15-to-40 range, where reproductive rates are high. In order to keep pace, food production must increase by 70 percent by 2050. Let us throw a light over some population facts, globally, in the light of WORLD-WATCH Facts;
- Global population has doubled during the last 45 years. If the present growth rate of 1.3 percent per year persists, the population will double again within a mere 50 years.
- Growth rates vary from one country or region to another. For example, China’s present population of 1.4 billion, despite the governmental policy of permitting only one child per couple, is still growing at an annual rate of 0.6 percent
- India, with nearly 1.1 billion people has a current population growth rate of 1.7 percent per year. Taken together, the populations of China and India constitute more than one-third of the total world population.
- The populations of Chad and Ethiopia, for example, are projected to double in 21 and 23 years, respectively.
- The U.S. population is at nearly 300 million, it has, doubled during the past 60 years. The U.S. Bureau of the Census reported in 2003 that sustaining the current growth rate of about 1.1 percent per year will double the population to 600 million in less than 70 years
In a latter section, following points are section;
- Precision SMART Farming.
- SWOT Analysis (w.r.t. futuristic Approach)
Precision Farming
P.F. is also called SMART Farming, by the fact of using micro or macro technologies in a way of making land more fertile & productive. It covers the following major domains,
From above Figure, it is clear that use of big technology is as certain as the rising of a sun. We must abandon the practice of traditional technique and deploy technologies that include GPS services, sensors and big data to optimize crop yields.
In addition to it, P.F. aims to optimize the yield per unit of farming land through the use of most modern means. The discipline and skills required for agriculture, now, includes; Robotics, computer based imaging, climate forecasting, technological solutions, environmental control and pest management etc. Hence to use such lucrative techniques, farm personnel must be trained in its use.
Some of Ecosystem Elements, where SMART farming can have a beneficial impact are,
- Fleet Management (Tracking of farm vehicles)
- Arable Farming( Large and small field farming)
- Livestock Monitoring
- Inside farming (Greenhouse)
- Fish Farming
- Forestry
- Stock Monitoring (Water tanks, fuel tanks)
An essence of SMART Framing is a data whether it comes from soil section or another resource. Data can be incorporated into three sub-field like; Wireless connectivity providers, Machinery & Equipment providers and Influence-rs.
Many governments are taking initiatives to embark on this journey, like;
- EU Allocated 95 billion pounds, 2007-13, for Rural Development.
- Netherlands has initiated Dike Monitoring Project.
- Germany has shifted to the IOT 4.0 in Farming aspect.
SWOT Analysis
Keeping in view a current and future technological breaks and fruits, an optimistic analysis of future agriculture is an s follow,
Conclusion
We better hustle, before we get out of resources