Automation in agricultural equipment and technology
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States about 33.7 % of the Sri Lankan population are employed in agriculture. Also 41.8% of the Sri Lankan land area is used for agriculture and it shares an 8% of the GDP.
The history of agriculture marks its beginning in the Fertile Crescent. It is regarded as the birthplace of agriculture.
Agriculture was invented by humans around 7000 to 10000 years ago during the new stone age. Irrigation first started in Egypt and Mesopotamia during the 4th Millennium BC. The man-made underground streams which are called qanats were used as the oldest method of irrigation.
First tools in agriculture were produced during the bronze age after acquiring advanced metalworking techniques. Also, they continued to domesticate animals and plants. In the middle age’s irrigational networks such as dams and reservoirs that are more advanced and sophisticated than qanats came into being. Between the 17th and the 19th centuries British Agricultural Revolution came into being with an increased agricultural productivity.
Many new developments came into existence within due time. In the early 1830s the mechanical combine harvester, in early 1900s the horse drawn plough and in 1892 the gasoline powered tractor was invented with a new boost in agriculture.
The development in agriculture up to the present day started from the use of fire to prepare food until the self-driving machines. The modern agriculture is nourished with the advancement of technologies ranging from robotics and drones to newly formed computerized softwares.
In farm automation many companies are working 24/7 throughout the year to increase the efficiency in farms and to automate the crop or livestock production cycle. New technology is used in different aspects of agriculture such as in harvest automation, autonomous tractors, seeding, weeding and usage of drones for agricultural purposes.
To automate the harvesting process robots are used at present which can gently handle the harvest without causing any damage or bruising. Agrobot was the first company to develop a robot to pick the strawberry harvest which can meet the quality standard of farmers. Upto 24 agrobots of this kind can be manipulated simultaneously using a mobile software. Another company called Abundant Robotics has developed the worlds first robotic apple harvestor. It uses a vaccum to pluck apples rather than a claw like hand.
At present tractors too are being automated and can be controlled remotely or make them pre programmed inorder to suit the needs of the consumer. The autonomous tractor manufactured by Rabbit Tractors and the tractor automation kits developed by Bear Flag Robotics are used at present in agricultural lands.
Also for seeding and weeding the field of robotics is used at present. These robots can target he specific crop areas and also they can become incredibly accurate inorder to decrease the pesticide usage upto 90% with the use of only computer vision. Blue River Technology involves ICT together with robotics to spray herbicides at the correct place with the correct amount. Also ecoRobotix is a company that has employed the first ever automatic machine for complete economic and ecological weeding.
At present in developed countries drones are used to monitor the farmlands and also to apply weedicides, pesticides and other fertilizers. These drones have the full capability of identifying a problem quickly and cost effectively with the help of IR ray analysis and imagery. American Robotics has come up with fully automated drones which can aid in farming activities.As in every other aspect farm automation too has its own advantages and drawbacks.
Nowadays many people of the youth tend to use technology rather than involving in traditional farming activities for their professions. So automation in farming will attract the youth for farming activities which will have a great impact on the country’s economy.
Also this will lead to a farming industry that will be able to suit the consumer needs. Consumers always tend to buy fresh, juicy, and sustainable products. The harvest will reach the market faster than ever . Also this automation will lead a high yield in agricultural crops.
Automation will also be effective in reducing the labour engaged in manual agricultural activities. This will be a great solution for the cost incurred as wages and also to the problem in shortage of manpower for agriculture. The strawberry harvester mentioned earlier has the capability replacing 30 farm workers by plucking the harvest of a 25 acre strawberry field in 3 days.
Ecological footprint too can be reduced because the amount of pesticides and weedicides used is greatly reduced while emission of greenhouse gases are reduced too.
The main drawback is the high cost that has to be borne for the robotic equipment and the larger size. If technical issues arise expert help is needed to fix them and some farmers will need to acquire special training to operate these equipments.
So this automation can lead to a new lifestyle which will satisfy the needs of both the consumer and the farmer.
References –
Fao.org. 2021. Sri Lanka | FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [online] Available at: <http://www.fao.org/.../results-in-the-region/sri-lanka/en/> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
Crestcapital.com. 2021. The History of Agriculture. [online] Available at: <https://www.crestcapital.com/tax/history_of_agriculture> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
Plug and Play Tech Center. 2021. How Automation is Transforming the Farming Industry. [online] Available at: <https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/.../how-automation...> [Accessed 5 March 2021].
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