AI is one of the greatest time- and paradigm-changing technologies that have flooded the innovation market with rapid and great trends. Artificial intelligence has proved enough to make it easier to handle most manual work people do in just a spot second. In short, technology is slowly taking over most of the tasks done by human beings and even stretching further to handle tasks that seem dangerous to humans—technology cuts across various fields, from industrial to agricultural sectors. Our discussion narrows down to how artificial intelligence has greatly changed the agricultural sector, specifically its key benefits and use cases.

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Agriculture

Over the years, the world has seen a great transition in the agricultural sector. Therefore, the impacts are promising, and positive statistics are greatly overwhelming. For instance, companies, especially in the Agricultural technology sector, have seen exhibitable long-term impacts that have propelled the entire agricultural sector to a new level. Through artificial intelligence, this great technology has propelled fields like precision farming, ensuring that farmers and agriculturalists enjoy relevant crop yields.

To showcase the growing statistics of AI in the Agricultural sector, let’s start our analytics from 2019. The 2019 year showed that AI in agriculture is big and might grow rapidly, with its 852 million US dollars market. Therefore, the projection of growth within the field by 2030 lies at 8.39 billion, with a projected CAGR between 2020 and 2030 fixed at 24.8%. These statistics clearly show that AI implementation in Agriculture is growing rapidly. Even with the quick growth and implementation of the technology in the agricultural sector, many positive outcomes are clear even after a short period – better yields and modern and fast agricultural operations, among many others. Let’s explore some of the key perks of artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector,

Key benefits of AI in the Agricultural sector

As discussed, artificial intelligence offers many advantages in the agricultural sector. Most importantly, these benefits allow agriculturalists to enjoy every operation within the sector for a long time. Therefore, let’s explore some of the key benefits resonating from the use of artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector.

• Saving costs

Since introducing and integrating artificial intelligence in the agricultural industry, agriculture has saved hugely on most expenditures within the sector. Therefore, AI in agriculture means that many costs will be saved even in the coming years since the technology grows rapidly. The technology cuts costs in various ways, including supporting huge data analysis. The support for technologized analyses in the agricultural sector vitally helps improve areas requiring heavy data analysis. For instance, with AI, experts can analyze soil data to help improve soil quality and other production aspects.

There is also heavy machinery within the agricultural sector. Operating these machines using a human workforce may sometimes take time and effort. However, AI comes in with a smooth, simple solution – a smoother and easier operation for these machines. Therefore, this means the manual energy spent on operating these machines is reduced to a very large extent. With the reduction of manual labor, which will always be costly, we expect that most machinery will operate under AI-automated procedures, thus making the entire process cheaper. Remember, saving costs don’t just lie under automation and technologized data analysis. AI in agriculture spans multiple areas to ensure the reduction of costs through efficiency improvement.

• The support for automation

Talk AI, talk automation. AI will always go hand in hand with automation. Therefore, integrating artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector means that automation will always be a greater aspect of most operations within an agricultural firm. Think of driverless agricultural machinery – this kind of automation pushes the agricultural sector to a new level. Most importantly, automation ensures less time is spent on operations that would have otherwise taken longer when done manually. Therefore, automation of most agricultural operations saves a lot of time. Also, driverless machinery means humans aren’t directly exposed to dangers within an agricultural firm. Thus, AI undeniably lowers human risks, especially its ability to handle even the most dangerous operations in any agricultural setting.

Another key takeaway from AI’s ability to automate most agricultural sector operations is the increased food production rate. Food production means a better economy; therefore, AI helps stabilize food production rates, thus boosting the agricultural sector and the economy.  Implementing artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector proves to be a great pusher to positive results within the agricultural sector.

• Making key data-centric decisions

Sometimes, it takes work to analyze agricultural data and reach powerful decisions solely based on the agricultural data collected. Challenges associated with such include huge sets of collected agricultural data, which might give agriculturalists a very hard time analyzing to achieve insights. However, introducing and integrating artificial intelligence have boosted the sector, enabling quick insights from large amounts of agricultural data. Therefore, most firms within the agricultural sector leverage AI’s capability to analyze huge data sets to propel and ensure faster data operations within the industry. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the agricultural sector can be taking the path of being data-driven and science-centric.

Key applications of Artificial intelligence in Agriculture

After thoroughly analyzing the benefits of implementing AI in agriculture, it is essential to check the application areas within the agricultural environment. AI will always be important in every aspect, in and outside agriculture, and therefore, the following are the major applications associated with Artificial intelligence in Agriculture:

• Real-time monitoring of crops and soils

One advantage of artificial intelligence is that it handles most operations in real time. Such ability stretches further to handling most agricultural operations in real-time. For instance, it is possible to monitor soils and crops in real-time with artificial intelligence. It is also possible to monitor the health of given animals in real time. Generally, artificial intelligence is a proper technology for handling most agricultural-related elements in real time. For instance, let’s learn more about how technology can help monitor crops and soils in real time. AI can easily collect soil and crop data from various sensors automatically. Therefore, this cuts the need to have experts manually explore the field to collect such data. Upon collecting soil and crop data, AI makes it easier to monitor the collected data automatically. Therefore, the technology will be able to make the necessary and precise decisions based on real-time monitoring of crops, soils, or any other entity within the agricultural sector that might require close monitoring.

• Agricultural yield prediction

It is always easier to predict agricultural yields with artificial intelligence. As discussed previously, artificial intelligence relies hugely on data and information. The technology is also able to hugely analyze larger sets of data and, therefore, the ability to ensure precise predictions. Even with other forms of prediction and prediction equipment, farmers can make mistakes. The use of precise tools is, therefore, the way to prevent predictions that are not precise. Such puts artificial intelligence at the forefront, ensuring preciseness when handling every set of agricultural information. For yield prediction, artificial intelligence uses sensors and historical information to make and improve the preciseness of prediction.

• Advanced precision farming

Precision farming is more likely to be achieved using AI technology than without any tech. Among the major entities for precision farming is information. Artificial intelligence uses the available information to ensure preciseness. Collecting huge sets of information, including information on soil conditions, crop health, and weather, is easier. When collected and analyzed precisely through artificial intelligence, the outcome is a greater transformation into a proper approach to the actual management of crops. Such precise information collection and analysis stand out as crucial even in decision-making.

• Improved AI-powered surveillance systems

Proper agriculture needs a higher level of surveillance. For instance, farm surveillance may help reduce the risk of negative activities, thus bringing adverse effects at the end of it all. However, the future of surveillance systems looks promising when integrating AI-powered technology into surveillance systems. Usually, most risks happen within agricultural environments, and therefore, there is a need for a high level of surveillance. With cameras and sensors, artificial intelligence can push the security of farms to a new level. It is easier to monitor and surveil animals straying out of fields, crops that may not be doing well, or any potential attacks on agricultural farms. Again, the agricultural farms are too big in big agricultural sectors, and proper tech is needed to handle everything easily. Therefore, adopting AI-powered surveillance systems to make major observations within agricultural fields is important.

• Enhanced livestock monitoring

Many livestock owners on agricultural farms may need help monitoring and managing huge agricultural farms. Animals grazing on larger fields may experience dangers, including adverse weather conditions and attacks from wild animals. However, artificial intelligence comes with tools to help monitor livestock on a large scale. The tools are crucial in observing the animals and alerting or intervening in case there are challenges faced in the fields. AI tools are often integrated with sensors to support quicker detection of problems faced in the fields. Therefore, detecting when an animal gets sick in the field is even easier. Therefore, with the help of technology, it is easier to monitor most aspects of livestock farming, making the entire farming process much easier.

• Weather prediction

Undeniably, agriculturalists depend solely on weather to estimate proper agricultural periods. Therefore, a proper solution to establishing the weather state means that agriculturalists will always have a smoother time with their operations. Artificial intelligence is a key technology in matters regarding weather prediction. Artificial intelligence makes it easier to analyze weather patterns and predict what to expect. Compared to human forecasting, weather prediction using AI is always likely precise, thus making it more reliable. AI is more precise in weather prediction because it can analyze huge weather records over longer periods, thus making the prediction close to accurate.

• The use of robotic technology

Robotics is a subfield under the major artificial intelligence technology. It entails the use of robots to perform different tasks. Robots can be used in the agricultural sector to serve different roles and operations. Sometimes, some tasks are often dangerous to undertake in the agricultural sector. For instance, spraying of fertilizers on farms may come with adverse effects on human health. AI-powered robots can easily spread fertilizers and other chemicals on the farms without experiencing any effects. Besides protecting humans from such dangers, robots may also help improve soil management practices. The future of AI-powered robots in the agricultural industry looks promising. The robots will hugely help maintain a higher standard of farm yields.

• Drone technology for data collection

With AI comes a great capability of utilizing drone technology to collect agricultural data. It is possible to use AI with other complex technologies, such as drones, by developing complex AI software to control these drones independently. Modern tech from artificial intelligence can use visual processing skills to make data gathering through drones easier. The visual processing capability is fit enough to ensure data is collected through sensors and analyzed easily. Therefore, this means there is little to no need for human operators within the agricultural sector. With these greater AI possibilities, starting big and smart-tech agricultural projects requiring little labor from human knowledge is possible.

• Automation of weed removal and crop harvesting

Weed removal and crop harvesting can be demanding, especially when working on large-scale agricultural farms. AI-driven machines have a greater capability of removing weeds from the farm. Harvesting on a large scale is also a simple process using AI-driven machines. If there is a workforce shortage or human labor, technology can help in weed removal and harvesting. All these happen in a short time frame, thus reducing the time spent on farms harvesting and removing weeds. AI-driven machines are also essential to ensure crop harvesting and weed removal efficiency. The outcome of all these is better financial outcomes.

Challenges posed by AI in Agriculture

Technology will always have a positive side and a negative part of it. Like any other technology, artificial intelligence has many perks, especially in the agricultural sector. However, there are also negative aspects to using artificial intelligence in agriculture. Some of the key challenges that come with the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture include:

• Resistance to the technological implementation

Different personalities have different views on technology, especially in reducing the roles that require a human workforce. Therefore, individuals, workers, and even management may resist the integration of artificial intelligence for various reasons. One key reason individuals may resist the implementation of artificial intelligence in agricultural firms is the fear of losing jobs.

• Longer adoption durations

Another key challenge with implementing artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector is the time it takes to adopt the tech. Adopting artificial intelligence in the agricultural field may take longer due to the need for proper configuration. Therefore, agribusiness firms must prepare properly with all the resources to stay ready for the agricultural sector’s transition into artificial intelligence technology.

• Privacy and security issues

Sometimes, technologies come with a greater risk to privacy or security. They may create lasting issues on privacy and security – both negative and positive. It is, therefore, essential to develop a custom solution to help maximize long-term safety and security when integrating AI into the agricultural sector. One of the possible risks of artificial intelligence is the possible leak of information as the field handles a huge set of information. Also, the complexity of artificial intelligence may be a loophole in creating security gaps since the more complex the technology, the harder it is to detect even minor security gaps. Therefore, agricultural companies heavily relying on AI should be sure enough of the security and privacy of their personal information.

• Inexperienced officials to handle the latest technologies

Another key challenge in integrating artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector is the lack of tech-savvy individuals who can implement the new technologies. Therefore, implementing artificial intelligence may be a significant challenge when only some individuals can perform AI-related operations or operate AI-powered machinery. Usually, most AI systems require input from well-tech-savvied specialists such as software development experts. However, such experts are limited and thus pose a greater difficulty in finding those who can properly operate AI-driven machinery or tools.

• Huge initial costs

More often, implementing AI in almost any sector comes with huge costs, and so the case is for the agricultural sector. The early phases of implementing artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector come with some costly expenditures. Therefore, you must have significant money in the first stages if you are serious enough to implement artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector.

Conclusion

AI is one of the greatest technologies you can integrate into agriculture. The technology has many perks, including simplifying and automating most agricultural operations and processes. As discussed, using artificial intelligence can also significantly improve yields in the agricultural sector. Artificial intelligence also highly supports the operation of complex tasks that might seem very dangerous to humans, making the whole agricultural operations sector smoother. However, the technology also comes with challenges, as discussed. It is, therefore, essential to assess both the advantages and challenges that come with the use of artificial intelligence to understand its fitness in the agricultural sector. However, there are a lot of perks to it, and therefore, artificial intelligence is a better option to push agriculture to a whole new level.

Any queries? Get in touch with AI development company : Aalpha information systems!