Imagine a greenhouse patrolled by moth-killing drones. Outside, smart collars keep a goat herd contained along an invisible boundary line, giving them a mild shock if they stray too far. Robots plant seeds with expert precision in a nearby field. Smart farming combines agriculture and technology to increase productivity, extend the growing season and maximize efficiency, allowing farmers to feed the world’s expanding population. It just might put a stop to world hunger.

Technology Required for Smart Farms

There isn’t a set definition for what makes a farm “smart,” just as it’s hard to define what makes an area a farm. In general, however, smart agriculture uses the following innovative tech.

1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Also called UAVs, drones can do several jobs that would ordinarily require heavy labor, such as spraying fertilizer on crops, planting seeds and monitoring fields via multispectral image analysis. Like robotic bats, some drones even kill pests inside greenhouses, chopping up flying insects with their spinning blades.

These machines can locate wildlife — such as beehives or newborn animals — that people must move before working in a field. Farmers can also use UAVs to watch their livestock in real time.

Drones use technology like global positioning systems, programmable controllers, propulsion systems, infrared cameras and automated flight planning. UAVs can fly by themselves, with the use of a human operator or on specific routes and schedules. Due to their numerous applications, UAVs have become an integral part of modern agriculture.

2. Internet of Things

The Internet of Things — or IoT — refers to devices that contain sensors. These Internet-connected sensors gather and transmit data online.

On a farm, IoT devices can include things like soil monitors that detect plant infestations and measure growth, which help farmers decide how much pesticide they should apply. Wearable livestock monitors powered by solar panels can track an animal’s location or vital signs or even detect unusual movements that might indicate an animal is hurt. Water sensors save water by delivering precise amounts of irrigation to crops.

Climate sensors can use data to inform farmers about when and where to plant crops, which types to plant and how to care for them. Smart greenhouses precisely control humidity, lighting and temperature. Above all, IoT devices gather a wealth of data, allowing farmers to track patterns over long periods.

3. Autonomous Robots

Driverless tractors operate without a person behind the wheel. Autonomous seeding machines trawl the fields and plant seeds in precise locations, burying them at the optimal depth and spacing them evenly. Other devices automatically pull weeds. Since many are electric, autonomous machines can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Automation has numerous advantages. It saves time, makes up for labor shortages and prevents people from chemical fertilizer exposure and dust inhalation. Robots don’t get sick or tired and can work during extremely hot or cold weather. They can do dangerous jobs that might cause workplace injuries.

There can also be disadvantages to automated machinery. This includes things like:

• The potential loss of jobs;
• Unsustainably sourced metals and plastics to build the machines;
• Noise pollution;
• Cybersecurity risks; and
• Reliance on robotics companies for repairs.

Overall, however, the advantages of automation outweigh the risks. It’s a significant part of the innovation required to prevent world hunger since traditional agriculture simply isn’t efficient enough to feed the projected 9.9 billion people who’ll populate the Earth by 2050.

Smart Farms Are Growing the Future

By using widespread connectivity, autonomous vehicles and robotic sensors, smart agriculture allows farmers to grow more crops than ever before with fewer resources. This form of sustainable farming has the potential to support the ballooning human population, which will become increasingly important as the effects of climate change and urbanization intensify.