List written by Head of Soybean Seeds Product Development at Syngenta
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
There was once a time when the Farmer’s Almanac acted as a farmer’s main source of technology.
Since then, advances and innovations in agricultural technology have become much more complex and intricate; and according to Joseph Byrum, certain types of technology could shine in the farming industry in 2016.
Byrum is a Strategic Marketing Executive in Global Product Development and Head of Soybean Seeds Product Development at Syngenta. In a piece he authored for Forbes, he outlines four types of technology to watch for this year.
“Next generation farms are putting science and technology to work to deliver a step change in yields, growing more from less,” he wrote.
The four technological developments to pay attention to are:
The Mathematics Revolution
Byrum said that advanced mathematics is helping increase productivity on farms because of the capabilities of hardware and software.
“For example, farmers can now know the best time to plant crops by looking at historical data and using simulation models to make informed choices based on current conditions, rather than guesswork,” he wrote.
Byrum said that plant breeders can use advanced math to better identify crop varieties with better yields and other industries including transportation can benefit from using math.
The Sensing Revolution
According to Byrum, the mathematics revolution can only function properly if the technology that uses math can keep up. Advanced sensors help farmers understand what’s happening on their farms in real-time. Sensors can help provide farmers with plant and nitrogen needs, and farmers with livestock can use sensors to keep track of an animal’s health and location.
Putting It Together With Automation
Byrum wrote that automation works together with math and the sensors to make sure planting, harvesting and other tasks are completed with as much precision as possible.
He said hundreds of agricultural robots could monitor conditions and harvest crops without humans, possibly resulting in fewer farm injuries and less waste in the environment.
Next Generation Plant Breeding For Corn
“Higher productivity in agriculture isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity,” he wrote.
Byrum said that breeding better plants is nearly as important as growing them and developments of corn hybrids meant to thrive when planted in high densities can help deliver a change in yield per acre.