Research Overview

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has identified that growing populations, rising affluence and urbanization are translating into increased threat to global food security. The agriculture sector has undergone a series of transformation since the 19th century, including mechanized agriculture as well as green revolution. Since 1980’s, agriculture industry embraced digital technologies to enable precision farming for maximized and optimized food production. Today, leveraging the advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), farms across the world are transforming digitally from mere precision farming to smart and digital farming. In contrast to precision farming that mainly relies on GPS, smart farming modernizes the agriculture sector through the use of automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Unlike precision farming, smart farming involves conversion of farm data into actionable insights by enabling mass data communication in real time among various digital technologies. Thus, it paves way for an efficient route for monitoring, tracking, analyzing and optimizing various agricultural assets and production processes. Digitalization also currently ensures that the agricultural input resources are managed in a highly optimized, personalized, and intelligent manner. With the growing awareness among consumers to know how their food is being produced, digitalization of farms will enable traceability along the entire agricultural value chain.

Modern technologies which enables digital transformation of agriculture include:Integration of automation technology, drones, spectral imagery, and sensors to increase crop yield reduce crop stress and monitor a range of parameters for enhanced farm management maximized productivity.

Utilization of agricultural robots and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for increased efficiency, reduced labor and reduced operational expenditures. Increased use of livestock biometrics ensures maintenance of livestock health and will have a direct impact on the increase in yield of dairy products. Increased use of livestock biometrics ensures maintenance of livestock health and will have a direct impact on the increase in yield of dairy products.