ROBOTIC FARMING DOES MORE GOOD THAN HARM TO HUMANS IN THE 21ST CENTURY
New technologies are causing changes in the agricultural sector. These changes are promising as they enable higher farm productivity and, eventually, profitability. Since the first wave of modern agricultural revolution with mechanization and the second being a genetic modification, precision farming has bee said to be the third wave of revolution in the agricultural sector (Saiz-Rubio & Rovira-Más, 2020). Over the years, technologies such as the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), electronic sensors that direct nutrients and water into the soil and other tools have transformed the agricultural industry. In October 2016, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported an increase in net returns and operating profits as a result of precision technologies (Saiz-Rubio & Rovira-Más, 2020). Also, new technologies are increasingly being used in farms to maintain the sustainability of farm production. But is it perfect?. In this essay, we are going to analyze and discuss the impacts that robotics has on farming.
According to research, about a third of the agricultural land in the world has maxed out the amount of wheat, rice, and corn that can be grown by farmers. At the same time, there is additional research that suggests that we should double our food production to cater for the projected population of 10 billion people by 2050 (Alexander, 2018). This is where the use of robotics in farming comes in to boost yield and maximize every plant’s potential. The figure below demonstrates market projections as a result of precision farming by 2050 (McLellan, 2015).
Figure 1. Shows data from Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research(McLellan, 2019)
Data analyzed from the use of robotics in farming demonstrates the impact it has had. From the use of (Internet of Things) IoT to drones and electronic sensors. The sensors embedded in fields, irrigation systems have the capacity to sense and respond to environmental factors in a way that will maximize production all while reducing costs.
Figure 2. is a grid map for the grower to make decisions about fertilization and differential harvesting.
The use of robots to scan for soil features such as soil fertility is also a common practice in robotic farming. The robots are programmed and follow a specified path formulating a soil fertility grid.
Figure 3. is a newer improved version of the VineScout autonomous robot.
Robots such as the VineScout, a vineyard monitoring robot pictured above, have been instrumental in monitoring whether grapes are ready for harvest. Sensors are placed allow for data acquisition in the field, thereby allowing for objective decisions.
On the farm, the agricultural sector has employed the use of GPS systems and sensors that fix nutrients and check water level requirements for soils. This has had a significant improvement in yields. In my opinion, the use of robotics in farming has brought about its advances in the agricultural sector. One way is that they are accurate. Take an example of a GPS used in robotic equipment in the farm to test for soil fertility. The GPS will enable the equipment to locate specific soil samples and mark those areas for the creation of a fertility map (Thomasson, 2015). A human being would not be able to achieve this accurately without any error. This will enable maximum farm yield. Another reason why I think the use of robotics in farming is suitable for agriculture is when using sensors to analyze plant characteristics such as a leaf. Leaf characteristics such as height, shape, size, angle, wilting, color, the number of fruiting positions can help analyze the genetic code (Thomasson, 2015). This will enable accurate breeding and further research to improve crop production. The use of sensors could also help tackle the problem of using pesticides, which are known to harm the environment and human health. Robotic sensors will effectively look for insects and diseases and possibly pluck them out before they spread before moving to the next location.
The prospects are, however, not all positive. The use of robotics, in my opinion, will eventually replace the traditional farming methods, a sector known to employ a majority of people in the agricultural industry. We now have satellite driven tractors, robotic milking systems, and many more. All these are bad news as it means one more human replaced by a machine in a world where we are increasingly losing to them.
As can be seen, robotics has transformed the agricultural sector in both positive and negative ways. It has made farming easier for farmers as well as increased yield and, therefore, revenue. The prospects for future global food security look good as a result of robotics, all while keeping costs lower. The bad news, however, is that they are so effective that they have the knock-off effect of getting rid of humans who need the job. The good news, however, is that even robots require maintenance, and they may still require human beings. It remains to be seen how future advancements will secure the survival of the agricultural industry. When all is said and done, the positives outweigh the negatives.
The use of lasers to search for irregularities in leaf characteristics could be problematic for those who prefer organic food. Preliminary tests should be carried out to determine if these laser targetings are dangerous and, if so, to what extent. Also, use of robots in farming ultimately takes jobs meant for humans, and despite their benefits, could still be opposed by many people. It should be noted that the use of these robots requires a lot of training and therefore, replacement of these jobs with others such as maintenance and training is recommended.
References
Thomasson, A., & Texas A&M University. (n.d.). How will drones and robots change the future of farming? Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/how-will-drones-and-robots-change-the-future-of-farming/
McLellan, C. (2019, January 27). Smart farming: How IoT, robotics, and AI are tackling one of the biggest problems of the century. Retrieved from https://www.techrepublic.com/article/smart-farming-how-iot-robotics-and-ai-are-tackling-one-of-the-biggest-problems-of-the-century/
Alexander, B. (2018, October 18). If farms are to survive, we need to think about them as tech companies. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1383635/if-farms-are-to-survive-we-need-to-think-about-them-as-tech-companies/
Saiz-Rubio, V., & Rovira-Más, F. (2020). From Smart Farming towards Agriculture 5.0: A Review on Crop Data Management. Agronomy, 10(2), 207.