Anticipating the effects of climate on crops and mitigating their impact is one of the benefits of using techniques to manage large volumes of information.
The agricultural industry is no stranger to the new reality focused on the analysis of large volumes of information and making business decisions based on data.
Just as in the industrial sector the analysis of large volumes of information can minimize costs and improve the performance of a production process, in agriculture the use of these tools allows, among other things, know exactly when a crop has reached its maximum level of hydration.
“… The collection of data, its analysis and the integration of the conclusions obtained in agricultural management is one of the main pillars of the new intelligent agriculture, according to Cristóbal Aguilera, innovation manager at the Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries de Catalunya (IRTA). The sensors connected, the drones and the satellite network allow us to obtain information on the evolution of crops or the level of hydration, which helps to apply the right amount of resources at the most appropriate time and in the exact place“, Aguilera exemplifies.
This optimizes the use of water, energy, fertilizers and pesticides, among others, increases productivity and reduces the impact on the environment. The Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos (COAG) estimates that productivity will increase by 1% per year over the next 30 years.“
An analysis published by Lavanguardia.com explains that “… Far from being science fiction, these advances are already beginning to be implemented. There is a new generation of farmers very aware of the need to do things differently,’ says the IRTA expert. It is estimated that by 2020, the market for precision agriculture will have grown to $4.8 billion.”