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The agriculture industry these days is increasingly turning towards the latest technology, such as IoT, AI, drone agriculture, among others. However, these smart technologies and devices produce a large amount of data that is one of the biggest challenges in modern farming. Even, there is a lot of complexities with data management in agriculture. In this context, big data is often seen as a combination of technology and analytics, gleaning and compiling novel data and processing it in a more useful and timely way to drive effective decision making.

The practice of big data encompasses capturing germane data from a large number of sources, accumulating it and converting it into actionable insight. That will enhance business processes and solve problems at scale with pace. In smart farming, applications of big data go beyond primary production and are influencing the entire food supply chain. The technology is being utilized to provide predictive insights in farming operations, drive real-time operational decisions, and restructure business processes for innovative business models.

Approaches to Smart Farming

Smart farming intends to leverage new-age technology in order to enhance yield and product quality. Precision agriculture is the best instance of smart farming. This is a site-specific crop management concept that makes use of a decision support system based on monitoring, gauging and retorting to inter and intra-field variability in crops.

With precision agriculture, farmers can optimize their returns and preserve resources. Such monitoring solutions can be accomplished by combing electronic sensing devices that record data from the soil, the environment or crops. That data then can provide meaningful information for decision-making through data analytics.

Big Data Analytics Transforming Agriculture

Analysis of data not just creates greater awareness and more precise knowledge, but also fills the spaces in the supply and marketing chain of the industry. It boosts productivity and drives innovation for smart farming. As the demand for global food set to blast almost twofold by 2050, it will be unavoidable for agriculturists and agricultural suppliers to harness data and innovation to boost productivity and feed a growing global population.

There are several modern technologies available out there now that can meet the growing challenges of today’s farming. For instance, equipped with data from soil sensors, GPS-embedded tractors, and external sources like local weather channels, farmers who deploy precision agriculture can gain unprecedented visibility into their operations. And this will enable them to better manage key resources including seed, fertilizer, and pesticides, while improving productivity.

Data-driven farming can also assist agriculturists to navigate significant shifts in environmental conditions. This can help combat climate change by enabling smarter resource management. Big Data also maintain seismic shifts in the supply chain of seed, crop inputs and food driven by the democratization of technology and information.

Thus, the gains of precision agriculture and data-driven farming are not even ended here; it is in its early days, making farmers smarter, more productive and efficient.