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THE TIMES Saturday, February 19, 2022

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• The challenges climate change poses to agriculture • Advancements in livestock technology • Explaining precision agriculture • Understanding smart farm automation and more!

The Times - Delivering Your Community • Saturday, February 19, 2022

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The challenges climate change poses to agriculture • Drought: The National Integrated Drought Information System reports that the primary direct economic impact of drought in the agricultural sector is crop failure and pasture losses. The Government of Canada notes that areas of western Canada are already experiencing frequent and severe droughts, and scientists expect other areas of the country to be affected by drought more often in the years to come. The same goes for the United States, which the UCS notes has already dealt with severe drought in California, the Great Plains and the midwest. Depleted water supplies are a byproduct of drought, and such depletion can take a toll on crops and livestock.

Climate change poses an array of challenges. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that the impacts of climate change on various sectors of society are interrelated, a connection that mirrors the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The human health crisis that arose during the pandemic affected all aspects of life, as illnesses limited worker productivity, thus affecting the global supply chain, including the availability of food.

Scientists warn that a similar scenario could play out as a result of climate change. The agricultural sector could face considerable challenges in the years to come. The Fourth National Climate Assessment is a government-mandated report that must be delivered to the United States Congress once every four years. Among the many aims of the report are to provide an analysis of the effects of global changes on the natural environment and agriculture. The report also must project major trends for the next 25 to 100 years. The most recent report, delivered in 2018, noted that changing precipitation patterns could intensify in the coming years, leading to more intense periods of heavy rain and longer dry periods.

Those shifting patterns and other changes could lead to an increase in conditions and weather events that pose unique challenges to the agricultural sector.

• Flooding: The Union of Concerned Scientists notes that many agricultural regions of the United States have already experienced increased flooding. The effects of flooding on the agricultural sector are often devastating and include accelerated soil erosion, water pollution and damage to infrastructure that challenges farmers’ ability to get food from their farms to stores and, ultimately, consumers’ dinner tables.

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• Economics: The effects of climate change on crops and livestock may force farmers to change the nature of their farms. The UCS notes that farmers may be forced to choose crop varieties and animal breeds that are suited to the new conditions sparked by climate change. Going in a new direction could force farmers to make potentially costly investments in machinery and other changes as they make the transition.

Climate change will pose unique challenges to the agricultural sector that could force farmers to make some difficult decisions in the years ahead.

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According to the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit, various startups have developed technologies that can make the livestock industry more sustainable and efficient.

utilizes a robot suspended from a ceiling to monitor certain variables, including equipment function and health and welfare, that affect broiler chickens.

The American firm Swinetech utilizes voice recognition and computer vision technology in its SmartGuard product to prevent piglet deaths from crushing and starvation.

The product also makes it possible to track and facilitate obstetrical assistance.

Another firm working to treat livestock is the United States-based General Probiotics.

Animal AgTech reports that General Probiotics develops cellbots and antimicrobial probiotics that eliminate harmful pathogens in livestock. That can reduce dependency on antibiotics and make food production safer.

Operations Based in Uganda, Jaguza Tech has developed a livestock management system that utilizes sensors, data science and machine learning to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of modern farm operations. Farmers can utilize Jaguza to perform a host of functions, including monitoring their animals’ health and identifying their livestock.

The Netherlands-based H2Oalert is a water control management system that checks the quality and quantity of cattle drinking water in real time. The management system also checks for pollution and malfunctions in the water supply.

Welfare Faromatics, a firm based in Spain, has combined robotics, artificial intelligence and big data to improve animal welfare and farm productivity. One Faromatics product

Livestock technology continues to advance, and firms across the globe are developing new products and platforms to help livestock farmers make their operations more efficient, sustainable and productive.

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The Times - Delivering Your Community • Saturday, February 19, 2022

Consumer demand drives changes in industry, and the agricultural sector is no exception. Consumer demands for improved animal welfare have led to changes in the livestock sector, and various technologies have been developed and are in development to help this particular segment of the agricultural industry thrive.

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Advancements in livestock technology

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Explaining precision agriculture

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Few, if any, aspects of life in the 21st century have not been touched by technology. Advancements in technology have affected everything from the way students learn in the classroom to how senior citizens connect with their grandchildren. Technological advancements also have left their mark on industry, including the agricultural sector.

Modern agriculture bears some similarities to farming of past eras. Technology has affected the agricultural sector for centuries, and modern farmers know that’s no different today. One of the more recent developments in the agricultural sector is the rise of precision agriculture, a farming management concept that can pay dividends for generations to come.

What is precision agriculture?

Precision agriculture (PA) is rooted in improving crop yields through the utilization of technology. PA is designed to help the agricultural sector maximize resources and improve yields and the quality of crops. That’s a critically important function as the world population continues to grow and the demand for food increases as a result.

What are some examples of PA technology?

Sensors are a prime example of PA technology that helps make farms more efficient and productive. Sensors serve various functions by helping farmers gather data on the availability of water in soil, the level of compaction in soil, leaf temperature, insect and disease infestation, and other areas.

Weather modeling is another component of PA that can help farms be more cost-effective and efficient. Whereas in years past many farms would need to manually assess certain variables to

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determine when to harvest, weather modeling technology has enabled some farmers to generate remote readings, saving time and money.

How does PA help farmers?

Each situation is unique, but the principles of PA can help farmers acess a wealth of information. It might have been possible to access such information in the past, but PA has sped up the process and made it more hands-off, allowing farmers to save both time and money. PA technology can help farmers maintain accurate records of their farms; inform their decisions; make it easier to detect and identify problems, sometimes before they escalate into larger issues; and avoid potentially costly mistakes.

Technology has left no industry untouched. The growth of precision agriculture is a testament to the influence that technology is having on a vital sector of the global economy.

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Sustainable agriculture is an approach to farming that will allow modern farmers to meet the needs of a growing population while enhancing environmental quality. That can benefit both current and future generations, and technology will play a vital role in realizing the goals of sustainable agriculture.

Efficient land management Modeling technologies can be utilized to make more efficient use of land. According to Sustainable Brands, a global community of brand innovators, modeling technologies can be employed in a host of ways, including to identify tillage practices and the status of tile drainage. Certain agricultural technologies have been designed to predict the performance of cropland, which can allow farmers to more effectively and efficiently use their land. Farmers also can employ modeling technologies to determine soil health and water needs and usage, which can benefit the land and ensure resources aren’t wasted. Utilization of such technologies ensures farmers can meet the needs of modern consumers without affecting future farmers’ ability to do the same.

Reduce runoff The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes that runoff poses a significant threat to the environment. When runoff occurs, fertilizer, bacteria and other pollutants find their way into streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Sustainable Brands notes that nanotechnology is an efficient way to deliver nutrients to crops that can improve both the efficacy of the nutrients and reduce runoff.

Protect crops Sustainable Brands notes that agricultural biologicals are inputs derived from natural materials that have low toxicity. That low toxicity reduces their environmental impact. Agricultural biologicals utilize the properties of such things as bacteria, fungi and even insects to support healthy crops, potentially improving yield without adversely affecting the environment.

Sustainable agriculture technologies can help modern farmers and their successors meet the needs of a rapidly growing global population.

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According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, sustainable agriculture is designed to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs. That’s a worthy goal, especially in the face of a growing global population that the United Nations estimates will increase by two billion persons by 2050.

There are numerous benefits to utilizing sustainable agriculture technology, which can be especially advantageous to modern farmers.

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How agricultural technology can help improve sustainability

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How to involve more young people in agriculture The agricultural industry will undergo exciting changes as it looks to overcome developing challenges in the decades ahead. Technology will continue to play a pivotal role in the agricultural sector, making agriculture an evolving and exciting career path for young professionals.

Much has been made of projections that suggest the world population is increasingly looking to urban areas to call home. Though data from the United Nations indicates urban areas could grow by 2.5 billion people by 2050, more recent UN data indicates that 90 percent of that increase will take place in Asia and Africa. All told, estimates indicate that rural areas will remain home to 3.1 billion people by 2050.

A sizable rural population and the challenges climate change and population growth will present underscores how important the agricultural sector will be in the coming decades. That means there should be plenty of opportunities for young people to make an impact, especially if more efforts are made to encourage them to consider careers in agriculture.

• Encourage agriculture-based curriculum. After recognizing that the majority of Kenyan students had no access to farming training and education, the organization Farm Africa initiated a program to make agriculture more accessible to students. Students who participated learned about everything from keeping livestock to marketing produce for global markets. Similar programs can be encouraged in developed countries where opportunities in the field of agriculture figure to increase in the years to come.

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• Emphasize technological advancements in the field. Modern young people are growing up with technology all around them, but few may be aware of the vital role technology plays in the agricultural sector. Young people’s ears may perk up upon hearing terms like “robotics” technologies are now a big part of life on the farm. Recognition of that may compel more young people to pursue careers in agriculture.

by more than two billion people by 2050. Finding a way to feed all of those people in the face of climate change will be no small task, but it’s a task that will require dedicated agricultural professionals. Educators and parents can emphasize these challenges when speaking to young people about a career in the agricultural sector, noting that such careers will present real opportunities to make a difference.

• Highlight the challenges ahead and how agricultural professionals can help overcome them. UN projections indicate the global population will grow

Young people looking for rewarding careers in an exciting, ever-evolving field can be encouraged to consider the agricultural sector.

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Modern agriculture looks little like the early days of farming. All aspects of farming have been modified by the access farmers now have to technologies to meet the demands of their work and the pressure a growing population places on farmers to produce quality food.

Farm automation, precision farming and smart farming are strategies utilized by today’s farmers. These technologies have become important ways for farmers to optimize the production of food and improve its quality. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, agricultural production must increase by 70 percent in order to meet global food demand by 2050, by which time the population could be 9.7 billion persons.

Smart farming can make raising livestock more accurate and controlled.

While farm automation is a broad term, precision smart farming zeroes in on exact measurements between variations in land conditions and livestock, according to Techie Loops, a technology information website. Examples of farming automation technology include: • autonomous vehicles and machines • drones • robotics

• GPS guidance • micro-forecasting and weather forecasting • soil sampling • yield mapping • use of artificial intelligence • geomatics • statistical processes, and more.

Farmers can employ these technologies to save time and also manage labor shortages. Robot-assisted irrigation systems, for example, can maximize efficiency of water distribution where it is needed the most. Weeding robots can use artificial intelligence and computer vision to target field areas and reduce use of pesticides. Driverless tractors can make labor cheaper for farmers by plotting the machine’s route and letting it run the course automatically. Harvest robots also exist to grab crops gently (some with vacuum technology) and reduce reliance on field workers. Some harvesters can determine ripeness of fruit via AI technology, according to Eastern Peak, a provider of custom hardware and software solutions for businesses.

Technology is changing farming in many ways. Innovations in automation can make operations more efficient and less costly.

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Understanding smart farm automation

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