Great takeaways from this article:
- As a farmer, it’s important to understand how new technology can make you more efficient, so that you can focus on taking care of your land and crops, instead of spending time away from them making charts and spreadsheets.
- Farmers are constantly developing new skills and technologies and understanding what’s out there isn't just important – it's essential.
What is smart farming?
Smart farming is a farm management concept focused on providing the agricultural industry with the infrastructure to leverage advanced technology including big data, the cloud and the internet of things (IoT) responsible for tracking, monitoring, automating and analyzing operations. In a nutshell, it is software-managed and sensor-monitored.
A very good example of sensor-monitoring of farms is using Synnefa’s device called Farmshield, which is AI Powered. With our FarmShield you can remotely control your farm from your mobile phone and dashboard while getting real-time information on fertigation and irrigation needs for your crop. Learn more on how it works.
Importance of using smart farming technology
1. Reduce overall costs
Helps reduce overall costs and improve the quality and quantity of products, the sustainability of agriculture and the experience for the consumer. For instance, Drones can do a lot of the work that used to be done by humans. This means that the farmer reduces costs on human labour since drones never get tired and can improve agricultural security and monitoring.
2. Remote Monitoring
Control systems manage sensor input, delivering remote information for supply and decision support, in addition to the automation of machines and equipment for responding to emerging issues and production support.
3. Collect data for decision making
With smart technology devices, you can collect the data and information required to make decisions on how to boost production and secondly to put in place the necessary corrective actions to achieve this goal.
4. Conservation of resources
There’s no guesswork or blanket decision-making when it comes to the distribution of fertiliser, nutrients and irrigation. That means better use of resources, and cost savings for farm owners. Through the use of section controls, precision agriculture can also help prevent unnecessary chemicals going into the ground.
5. Water Conservation
Weather predictions and soil moisture sensors allow for water use only when and where needed. A perfect example of a tool is the Farmshiled.
With FarmShield™ you can remotely control your farm from your mobile phone and dashboard while getting real-time information on fertigation and irrigation needs for your crop. This helps you use water on the crops only when they need it hence reducing water wastage.
Automatic water regulation
Instant SMS alerts from farm sensors
Powered by solar = 24/7 farm monitoring
6. Improving farm security
Forget about the times we used scarecrows in the farms to scare away birds, animals and people who destroyed our farms. Nowadays, farmers are getting smarter with farm security. We have agricultural drones, cameras, farmshields that can protect the plants and animals from harsh weather conditions and theft.
Tools and technologies for smart farming
Tools are meant to make work easier. Farming is not an easy job. That’s why farmers are adopting the smart way of agriculture. We have a variety of technologies which are available even locally. Here are some of the top agricultural technologies you can employ in your farm.
- AI Powered Farmshield
- Hot Air Generator
- Water Heater
- Cooling Systems
- Fog System
- Hydroponics – Vertical and horizontal gardens
- Drones and robotics
To read more about the above mentioned technologies, we prepared a detailed article just for you on Top Agricultural Technology for Greenhouse Farming
Conclusion
Population increase has impacted farming methods. To address the escalating demand for food from the limited farmlands and labour, established agriculture machinery developers and technology vendors are introducing innovative solutions in the farming arena. These solutions focus on assisting farmers in filling the supply-demand gap by ensuring high yield, increased profit, and protection of the environment. This is why we are here as Synnefa. We help you as a farmer to install a smart greenhouse and AI powered Farmshield to monitor your farms and ensure high yields. Be a smart farmer and feed the population.
Reach out to us:
Email: info@synnefa.io
Phone: +254203894325
