The global agriculture and agribusiness sector makes up an industry valued at upwards of $6 trillion annually. If current trends hold, that number will assuredly skyrocket in the decades ahead. As population growth surges and economies continue modernizing, the UN projects overall agricultural production will increase by 69% between 2010 and 2050.

However, a number of factors, from resource and land scarcity, to crop disease outbreaks, to climate change and environmental degradation, present massive obstacles going forward. 

In order to meet the challenge, farmers, agribusinesses, and governments alike are once again turning to new tools and technologies to increase yields and meet demand. Whereas in the past, tractors, cotton gins, and grain elevators played crucial roles in farm mechanization, today it’s the application of IoT, AI, and Big Data that is unlocking efficiencies in the production process.

Already, around the world, we see farmers deploying sensors and drones to produce detailed topographical maps and measure key variables like soil temperature and acidity level. AI is driving the movement towards “precision agriculture”; the acquisition and analysis of massive volumes of data to create superior seasonal forecasting models, detect diseases, and monitor plant nutrition levels. And with concerns over COVID-19 transmission risk hampering human labor, automated bots are being rolled out to help sustain production and fortify global supply chains.

One promising avenue for the future: smart hydroponic factories. Long recognized as less prone to pest infestation, and thus requiring the use of less pesticide, hydroponics are now leveraging the power of IoT to bolster output. In the hydroponic factories of the future, IoT-enabled sensors will allow for effective real-time monitoring by instantly detecting condition abnormalities and alerting system users. Centralized, automated watering systems can reduce water levels up to 68%. As this happens, growth data is constantly being captured, analyzed, and uploaded to the cloud for superior quality control and resource planning.  

With few climate limitations, KOGI sees smart hydroponic factories as playing a key role in the future of farming. To learn more about KOGI’s smart agriculture solutions, click here or contact us today.