Why farmers must adopt artificial intelligence in agriculture? The world population is growing at a rocket speed, estimating it will reach 9.8 billion by 2050. Integrating AI in agriculture has become essential so people don’t face food scarcity.
Agriculture commodities producing countries, including Pakistan, have to realize it now unless it becomes too late to take appropriate measures. However, adopting AI in agriculture is a treadmill task for governments as most farmers from developing countries aren’t ready to make it their ally.
Economies can flourish tremendously if the farming industry leverages artificial intelligence. From reducing labor costs to preventing the effects of natural disasters, AI will help farmers in countless ways.
One more thing!
AI integration in agriculture will also help save the environment, making this planet Earth more secure for the upcoming generations – we will discuss this point in detail later.
Advantages of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
Artificial intelligence in agriculture can enable farmers to reap fruits while saving money and laborious efforts.
Cost Reduction
Do you know cost reduction in agriculture isn’t a hard-to-achieve task anymore? AI in agriculture can reduce costs quickly and increase ROI without putting too much effort into farming.
Farmers can leverage artificial intelligence for various processes, from sowing fields to applying fertilizers. Additionally, AI can enable farmers to optimize resource allocation according to the needs of a particular crop.
Cost reduction is a win-win situation for both farmers and consumers, eventually contributing to the economy of a country. It is really important for developing countries, like Pakistan, to integrate AI in agriculture.
A Suggested Read: The Scope of Artificial Intelligence in Pakistan!
Ensured Climate Safety
Don’t be amazed! The integration of artificial intelligence in agriculture has direct effects on climate – it has the potential to destroy or secure climate at the same time.
Most farmers, from India, Pakistan, and other countries, burn the residues of different crops, including rice, wheat, and maize. This habit affects the weather severely, from causing smog to the early start of summer.
AI in agriculture will provide farmers with tools and technology to get rid of residues safely, all without causing any harm to the environment. As a result, it will make the earth a better place for the upcoming generation.
Another important aspect needs to be discussed here!
Watering crops is a big concern for farmers, especially for those who belong to developing countries. They don’t have the latest technology and are required to water the whole field even if a small quarter of an acre needs water.
It leads to water wastage along with causing the significant consumption of resources. AI in agriculture will help overcome this issue, sustaining the water level for other uses.
Crop Health Monitoring
Health monitoring of various crops at the same time is a treadmill task for farmers. They have to hire more resources to do it and pay a significant amount of money for these resources.
Even it doesn’t ensure the accurate detection of crop diseases as sometimes most laborious men have no expertise in that. Therefore, issues like pest intrusion in crops can go unnoticed, causing significant harm to the crops.
On the other hand, artificial intelligence makes crop health monitoring easy for farmers like taking a fresh breath of air. It will allow them to detect crop health issues at the initial level and take effective measures to overcome the problem.
Moreover, AI has the ability to detect crop areas that are nutrient-deficient and need immediate intervention by the farmer. Yet to be achieved, it can also inform farmers about which particular nutrient or mineral this crop needs.
Domestic and wild animals always remain a significant threat to crops, especially when they are ready to harvest. AI-supported tools and equipment can keep these intruders away and secure your crop efficiently.
Timely Measures, Every Time
Severe weather events, such as heavy rainfall or storms, pose significant risks to agriculture. They often lead to devastating crop loss, a common issue faced by farmers around the world.
The use of artificial intelligence in agriculture has emerged as a perfect tool that enables farmers to take timely measures to protect their crops from catastrophic conditions. It ensures preparedness and prompt response every time.
AI-driven technology can forecast weather precisely instead of vague guesses, which are common in most developing countries. Artificial intelligence can analyze the vast dataset from satellites to predict the upcoming weather with high accuracy.
AI will let farmers cultivate a crop based on information about the upcoming weather. Usually, a farmer sows seeds just because their ancestors followed the same just to be hit by severe weather sometimes.
Conversely, a farmer will change his plowing and sowing strategy according to the weather prediction, only cultivating a crop supported by the weather in the coming months – a huge benefit for everyone!
Soil Monitoring Becomes Easy
Artificial intelligence in agriculture projects has transformed the way a farmer can monitor the soil. It has made data collection and analysis easy and crop management seamless.
As a farmer, you can deploy sensors in your fields and can continuously gather critical data about soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient content. Machine learning algorithms will identify soil patterns and inform farmers about the specific needs of the soil.
To mention an example here, AI will pinpoint the areas where moisture is excessive and the parts that need watering. It will not only save water but also ensure plants get adequate amounts of water for better growth and yield.
So, farmers need to enhance their decision-making skills through AI integration in agriculture projects. It will help increase production and contribute to the environment positively.
Livestock Health at Fingertips
Livestock is at the core of the farming industry, without whom it will collapse. Preventing an outbreak in animals is essential to ensure ROI from it.
Usually, diseases, such as bluetongue and foot-and-mouth disease, occur in a dairy farm and affect all the stock, leading to severe loss. However, advanced AI technologies enable you to track vital health indicators like body temperature.
This continuous monitoring helps detect signs of illness initially and facilitates prompt intervention that can prevent health issues in animals. In addition to detecting these symptoms, artificial intelligence can also inform you about nutrient deficiencies in animals.
It recommends you feed animals specific grains and supplements, improving milk production. This way you can decrease your feed costs and make your operations more efficient.
The use of artificial intelligence in agriculture also helps identify the best environment for your livestock, such as temperature and humidity levels. A perfect and comfortable environment keeps your animals healthy and doesn’t let them experience stress.
Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
The disadvantages of artificial intelligence in agriculture are none when compared to the advantages. These are not some serious types of drawbacks. Let’s take a look at their nitty-gritty:
- High Initial Cost: Spending a lot on buying the latest tools and AI machinery.
- Technical Complexity: This can be hard for most farmers to understand AI technology without guidance.
- Connectivity Issues: Some AI applications may need Wi-Fi to be integrated, which can be difficult to provide in rural areas.
- Cybersecurity Issues: Potential cyberattacks on your setup can disrupt your operations or shut down critical systems.
The Final Thoughts
The advantages of artificial intelligence are beyond to be discussed in a single blog post. Yet, there are continuous advancements in the field of agriculture and AI. Adopting artificial intelligence for agriculture projects is more than essential to cater to the needs of the growing population.
Governments must also encourage farmers to integrate artificial intelligence in the field of agriculture. The future of agriculture is in the hands of AI, and it belongs to all. Stay connected with Code Entropy to learn more about the advancements in AI and other fields!
FAQs
What is artificial intelligence in agriculture?
Artificial intelligence in agriculture means automating tasks, from sowing seeds to harvesting crops. It will help farmers reduce potential costs and get more return on investment. Plus, artificial intelligence is also capable of saving crops from catastrophic conditions.
How is artificial intelligence used in agriculture?
The use of artificial intelligence is simple for everyone, those can employ it even if they have not graduated from a university. All they need is just a training of some hours, enabling them to understand the functions of tools, including how to spray or detect pest intrusion.
What are the fundamental principles of AI application in agriculture?
There are a whole lot of fundamental principles that guide AI application in agriculture. Precise decision-making, automating tasks, climate adoption, and resource optimization, to mention a few, are some of the fundamentals of AI applications in agriculture.
What is the use of AI in organic farming?
Organic farming can also leverage artificial intelligence. Detecting pests and intruders will be easy without using pesticides as a farmer will learn about them at the initial level, and controlling such risks is easy when they are just about to start.
What is responsible artificial intelligence in agriculture?
Responsible artificial intelligence in agriculture refers to a set of principles that will prioritize ethical considerations and cause no threat to transparency and consumers. Following these codes is essential for every farmer in each country.
When was AI first used in agriculture?
The use of artificial intelligence in agriculture began in the 1980s, focusing only on crop management at that time. This use laid the foundation for more advanced applications that later emerged as the latest technology.