Environmental benefits of precision agriculture
Innovations and technology are changing our lives – and also the productivity of agriculture. However, as an American study shows, precision farming not only increases yields, but also benefits the environment. The sustainability of agriculture is increasing.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
The most important facts in brief
- Precision farming refers to the targeted cultivation of agricultural land with the help of digital technologies.
- This allows yields to be increased and resources to be saved.
- Precision farming therefore also helps the environment.
The US producers of agricultural equipment and machinery wanted to know more about the social impact of precision farming and therefore commissioned a study on the subject. The findings are clear: «precision farming» strengthens sustainability. In the USA, for example, the application of fertilisers has improved by seven percent. The use of herbicides has been reduced by nine per cent. This corresponds to a quantity of around 15 million kilograms. Precision agriculture also saved fossil fuels. The reduction was six percent or 500 million litres. In other words, precision farming also protects the climate.
Precision for more sustainability
The study was commissioned by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Its Vice President Curt Blades notes that research into precision farming over the last 30 years has focussed on the effects on individual farms. The new study, on the other hand, sheds light on the social component and thus on sustainability. Blades says: «The study explored key environmental benefits through precision adoption, including yield benefit through increased efficiency, fertilizer reduction by more precise placement, pesticide reduction by more accurate application, fuel savings due to less overlap and better monitoring, and water savings through more accurate irrigation sensing of needs.» And he summarises: «It just makes logical sense that precision agriculture is environmentally friendly.»
The study entitled «Environmental Benefits of Precision Agriculture» was commissioned by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and other agricultural groups, as reported online by the Minnesota Farm Guide.
World needs increased productivity
Precision agriculture will play an important role in the agriculture of the future. The next agricultural revolution is just around the corner, as a study by McKinsey shows. This is because the world's population is set to rise to almost 10 billion people by 2050. This will demand a huge effort from agriculture. It must increase its productivity and become more sustainable at the same time. The key to mastering this Herculean task lies in new technologies.
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