Future of Farming or Ranching Technologies
Introduction
Farming is the backbone of several economies in the world. It is based on modern technologies and practices in order to sustain the existing population. The contemporary mode of farming or ranching involves the use of products such as fertilizers, animal products, enhanced crop and animal breeds, and improved technologies like tractors. In order to improve the current farming and ranching situation, several technologies should be in place to supplement the overwhelming need for the education of farmers. The future of farming or ranching productivity and sustainability depends on technology discoveries.
Discussion
The future of farming or ranching, in relation to productivity and sustainability, depends on the improvisations by humanity through technological discoveries. The first way forward in increasing the current farming and ranching outputs involves introduction of robots to the field of agriculture. Robots involvement in the farming activities will increase the amount of work done within the ranch or the farm hence improvement on the total output. Robot technology will help farmers in activities like planting, spraying the pesticides and insecticides, tilling the piece of land for plantation of seeds, harvesting, milking the dairy cows, and attending to other animal needs within the farm as directed by the farmer (Stafford, 2005).
Since the manned machines perform greater workload as compared to the human race, they are capable of improving on the current level of output capable of sustaining the future generation. The use of robot technology will reduce the quantity of workforce required by farms and ranches. This reduction on the workforce quantity will ensure a decrease in the cost of production, hence resulting into cheaper production in the future. The level of profits realized by the farm will increase, which will enhance the sustainability of the farm.
The other way forward in realization of enhanced productivity and sustainability within farms or ranches requires the application of sensor technology. This technology will enable farmers to obtain information about their crops and animals without contacting any of them. This reduced contact minimizes cases of contamination, which may lead to decreased level of farm productivity. The sensor technologies, such as on-the-go and aerial photographs sensors, are capable of providing farmers with the required information on the state of their crops and animals. The collected information is vital to the farmer in that he/she may use it to act and make appropriate corrective actions in time (Li et al, 2012).
In time corrective measures improves the quantity of farm produce reflected by increased level of profits at the end of a financial year. When this technology is applied to the modern and future farming techniques, farms and ranches will experience increased volumes of output ensuring their sustainability. This is because the sensor technology will reduce the workload attached to traditional methods applied in obtaining the vital information about the conditions of crops and animals. The traditional method of data collection demands manual extraction of information by the farmer. This manual extraction increases chances of contaminating the crops hence the onset of diseases.
Scientific researchers have also dwelled on the prospective contribution of the introduction of synthetic biology technology in farming. This involves the creation of living organisms that are adaptable to the adverse changes on the environment. The future of humanity is described with numerous uncertainties, thus modifications should be in place to ensure the survival of the future generation. The synthetic biology technology ensures increase in productivity levels of farms under adverse climatic conditions. The technology involves creations of plants and animals that are well adapted to the prevailing conditions hence, would be a vital technology to help curb the uncertain future. The created living organisms and plants require a shorter period to reach maturity. This will increase the number of farming seasons hence maximize the productivity levels by the farms and ranches. This will eventually improve the sustainability levels of farming in relation to the increasing population growth.
In order to ensure improved productivity and sustainability in future farming and ranching, greenhouse technology in the deserts and semi arid areas is the way to go. These areas have registered low production levels due to adverse climate conditions that do not support the development of animals and crops to maturity level. Introduction of greenhouse technology in these areas would increase the levels of production in the future by reducing the cost of productions. Desert and semi-arid areas always employ expensive farming practices such as canal irrigation methods that increase the cost of productions. Greenhouse technology is a cheap method of farming hence would ensure increased productivity and sustainability within the future generations occupying affected areas (Przybylski, 2010).
Future farming and ranching productivity depends on application of data mining technology. This technology enables the farmer to obtain vital information in relation to crops and animals. The acquired information is reflected in the financial decisions taken by farmers as move of enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the farm. Future farming and ranching will benefit from this technology because of enhanced extraction of information relevant to the performance criteria of crops and animals. Data mining technology uses large information obtained from surveys conducted within the farm to make critical decisions. The decisions are aimed improving the current productivity levels and taking corrective measures as required by the data collected. Introduction of data mining minimizes the cost of production, which eventually results into enhanced productivity and sustainability (Li et al, 2012).
Future farming and ranching should consider the significance of drip-irrigation technology in order to increase the levels of productivity. Drip-irrigation helps in conservation of water used in farming practiced under adverse climate conditions. The system also reduces the degree of water contact with fruits, stems, and leaves of the plants. This minimization of contact helps in reducing cases of crop diseases. Drip-irrigation technology promotes farming in desert and semi-arid areas. Increased farming practices in desert and semi-arid areas increase the overall level of production in farming and ranching sector. The new volume of output is capable of sustaining the world’s growing population now and in their near future (Lamm, 2007).
Conclusion
The contemporary and future worlds are characterized with much uncertainty that requires inventions and innovations to tackle. In order to ensure increased farming and ranching productivity in the future, technologies such as data mining, robots, synthetic biology, drip-irrigation, and sensors, are significant. These technologies ensure reduction in the cost of production, quantity of workforce required, and onset of crop and animal diseases. They also increase the total quantity output thus improving the profitability of the farm. With increased levels of productivity, the future generation is assured of food products that are necessary for the survival of human race.
References
Computer and computing technologies in agriculture ii. (2009). Berlin: Springer.
European Conference on Precision Agriculture, & Stafford, J. V. (2007). Precision agriculture ’07. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers.
In White, M., & In Przybylski, M. (2010). On farming. Barcelona: Actar.
Lamm, F. R., Ayars, J. E., & Nakayama, F. S. (2007). Micro irrigation for crop production: Design, operation, and management. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Li, Daoliang, & Chen, Yingyi. (2012). Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture: 5th Ifip Tc 5, Sig 5.1 International Conference, Ccta 2011, Beijing, China, October 29-31, 2011, Revised Selected Papers. Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Stafford, J., & European Conference on Precision Agriculture, ECPA. (2005). Precision Agriculture ’05. Wageningen: Wageningen Acad. Publ.
