Today, there are many ways to make your farm more productive at a lower cost. Thanks to modern technological solutions, it is possible to significantly reduce the workload on people and make field activities less labor-intensive. Thus, you can devote more time and energy to planning and decision-making process improvement. No matter what business you are engaged in, you would like to solve various problems efficiently. In this piece, you can get some tips on achieving excellent results on your farm with minimal costs.
What is digital farming?
Digital farming involves using advanced technological solutions to improve farm production and increase agricultural productivity in general. With technologies, farmers can streamline decision-making and improve planning efficiency. For example, you can find out how much fertilizer should be applied and in which specific zones. It’s an excellent option to save resources and identify the result before the harvest.
Digital solutions in agriculture make life easier for farmers. Farmers can get real-time feedback on how their actions affect plant health and productivity. Such systems enable them to make decisions and manage field activities based on precise combined data, analyzed and interpreted. The findings are also carried out using technologies, namely with the help of modern agricultural tools.
One of the main benefits of digital farming is that it can be tailored to each farmer’s needs. Satellite imagery and drone data provide information on crop health and the impact of different weather conditions on crops. Soil data is also available thanks to sensors. With this information, farmers can determine the level of nutrients. In this way, soil fertility can be increased, and irrigation can be effectively managed.
Farmers also receive weather information. It is a reliable way to prevent crop threats and take timely measures to protect them. In addition, you can plan fertilization or sowing operations based on accurate weather forecasts.
How does digital farming make farming more cost-efficient and ergonomic?
Satellite imagery is one of the top solutions on the list of digital farming technologies. It can significantly increase the profitability of the farm. By looking at the images of the fields, farmers can determine which ones require attention since the damaged areas are visible on the images.
This solution is necessary for large farms where it can be challenging to check all the plants manually. In this case, computer visualization comes to the rescue. It allows the farmer to inspect the damage and determine whether it is profitable to restore the plants or call it a loss in the event of large-scale damage. It is a great chance to identify which crops it is better to invest money and effort into growing.
Precision farming is also gaining popularity among farmers. This agricultural practice involves the use of the software. Thanks to the software, users have access to information about the type of soil, the number of necessary fertilizers, the state of the crop at different development stages, and the expected harvest.
Tips for Growing More with Less
- Cut the waste
You can use a variety of agricultural innovations to reduce waste. Such innovations include varieties of seeds resistant to various weather conditions and various growing methods, including intercropping. This practice involves growing several types of plants on the same site during one growing season.
- Choose the plants wisely
Farm performance is highly dependent on plant varieties. Hybrid crops are more resistant to various kinds of diseases and pests. It’s a chance to obtain the maximum yield. It would be great if you choose the right place for planting. Furthermore, it is essential, for example, to consider the water source’s location. You can combine plants into groups depending on how much water they need. It is a great way to distribute water efficiently.
- Take care of water quality
In addition to the fact that plants need a certain amount of water, you should also not forget about quality. Sometimes it’s worth cutting back on the amount of water you use and making sure your hydroponics are of good quality. It will help save valuable resources as well as improve the palatability of the product.
- Mechanize your planting and harvesting
Mechanization improves the efficiency of all agricultural processes and eliminates the human factor when performing various operations. This is the most critical factor in modern production. Thanks to different technological solutions, your agricultural production can become much more profitable and accurate. Thus, you can also reduce the human resource load. In addition, mechanization helps to increase the sustainability of production and reduce waste.
- Plant cover crops
The practice of growing cover crops came to us from Ancient Rome. Many farmers use this method as it brings many benefits in both the long and short term. For example, cover crops help prevent many soil problems, including erosion.
It is also a great way to control weeds and pests. By using cover crops as livestock feed, you can also get rid of waste. Some cover crops also absorb nitrogen.
- Practice intercropping
This is another time-honored agricultural practice that produces excellent results and increases productivity. Intercropping allows you to save space and resources. If your main crop yields less than you expected, you will always have at least one more crop to bring you profit. In addition, intercropping helps reduce weeds and repel pests. In this case, the plants will be provided with nutrients. This method may require additional soil cultivation, but the results are worth it if the choice of plant combinations is clever.
Final Thoughts Fortunately, there are many ways to increase agricultural productivity and profitability today. Modern technologies allow farmers to plan all activities effectively, monitor every event on the fields, and prevent various threats to the crop. Reducing losses, waste, and impacting the environment are possible now, and it’s not a challenge anymore. Different agricultural practices can also be tried along with technology solutions, including intercropping and cover crop cultivation. You can choose the method that suits you best and make your farm more profitable and more sustainable.