According
to the UN, the world’s population is estimated to increase by 29%
to 9.8 billion in 2050. There is therefore an immense pressure on
the world’s agriculture sector to develop sustainable measures of increasing
their output so as to meet the demands of the ever increasing population around
the world.
Agriculture
has always been one of the core economic activities in Thailand, with over 40%
of Thai workers employed in the industry. However, this sector contributes to
only 10%
of the economy and is on a decline.
Fortunately, Thailand,
having been backed by its government, is developing new technology to help
transform its agriculture industry. One of these new developments include,
precision agriculture. Precision agriculture aims to harness technology to ease
industrial operations and maximise yield per square meter. This is done by
employing precise watering and fertilizing techniques using information
obtained by closely monitoring related variables, such as humidity and mineral
levels in the soil.
Precision
agriculture helps increase the
yield per square meter in different ways. The first of these is precision
planting. This involves planting a seed with a particular growth rate on soil
whose properties best match the seed genetics of that particular seed. The
soil’s properties will enable the seed to develop in the most efficient manner,
thereby enabling yield per square meter to be optimised.
Another way in which
precision agriculture can increase yield per square meter is by precision
fertilisation. This is also done through analysing soil properties to modulate
fertilisation. The fertilisers used would match the properties of the soil to
ensure that the soil is healthy so that the recovery period after the harvest
can be kept to a minimum. This allows farmers to resume planting after harvest
at quicker rates without having to wait as long as they usually do.
Precision spraying is
a crucial part of precision agriculture. The main aim of precision spraying is
to identify highly specific weed-infested areas for emphasis spraying. Given
that spraying is highly concentrated, there will be a 60% reduction in the use
of chemical pesticides. This not only enables farmers to save on the relatively
expensive and harmful pesticides, but since the spraying is kept to a minimum
and only used on infested areas, the soil is also kept healthier, allowing for
yield per square meter to increase.
Data processing systems are
also being developed. These systems collect data from drones and satellites
which will help farmers customise better production and harvest plans, enabling
them to increase their yield per square meter. The use of these technology will
also help farmers to monitor their lands in real time and respond to changes in
advance. Adverse weather conditions will no longer be a major deterrence when
it comes to yield per square meter as the AI will be able to generate
algorithms that will predict different weather conditions and allow for farmers
to put in protective measures in advance.
AI in agriculture will
require a farmer to actively participate for AI to be successful. Thai farmers
and their advisors are currently well suited to benefit the most from this
emerging technology. AI will be a powerful tool that can help organizations
cope with the increasing amount of complexity in modern agriculture. Farmers
will benefit not only from the direct on-farm applications of AI, but also from
the use of AI in the development of improved seeds, crop protection, and
fertility products.
Although it is still in the
beginning stages, these ways of using Artificial intelligence technologies
predict exciting times ahead for agriculture on its road towards efficiency,
sustainability and meeting Thailand’s food needs.
