Robotic Farming: An Imminent Future

While farms already require many machines, such as tractors and reapers, as technology blossoms, entirely automated farming is beginning to become a reality. Robotic farming will change the realm of agriculture forever, and food production may never be the same.

Precision agriculture has the potential to reduce labor costs, minimize pesticide use, and result in the harvesting of higher-quality produce. As of now, a plan for automated agriculture is being enacted in China, the method of vertical farming is being explored, and a massive strawberry-picking AI robot has been developed.

Autonomous Agriculture in China

Due to a dense and growing population, robotic farming has gained immense popularity in China. Recently, a seven-year autonomous agricultural pilot program has been initiated to experiment with innovative farming equipment in the Jiangsu Province. This program was initiated to reduce pollution and fertilizer usage, increase yield, cut costs, and eliminate unproductive farms.

Vertical Farming

Autonomous farming is not the only new mechanism of farming; vertical farming has also been on the rise.

This method of farming is exactly what it sounds like: rather than growing produce on large expanses of land, fruits and vegetables are grown indoors in vertically stacked layers within massive warehouses. This allows many environmental factors to be controlled, such as temperature, pests, and even light. As of now, LED lights are generally used to replace light from the sun, and they are a cheap and effective alternative.

By 2050, it is predicted that the human population will require approximately 70 percent more food. Although we will require much more food to survive, unfortunately, we will most likely be forced to grow it on parched soil in a polluted environment due to the impact of climate change. When the time comes, vertical farming may be the optimal method for produce to be grown sustainably and efficiently.

Berry 5.1 Robot

Robotic farming has already taken another step forward. Berry 5.1 is a massive, extraordinarily fast strawberry picking behemoth that can work 24/7 without any lunch breaks.

This 25,000 pound robot relies on a fusion between GPS and AI technology to pick berries with even better dexterity and skill than a human being. But this high-tech apparatus was not cheap; Berry 5.1 cost approximately 10 million dollars to build.

Recently, seasonal labor has become extremely scarce due to increased enforcement on illegal immigration. Farmers today must pay for temporary visas for their workers, which are expensive. Ultimately, this is causing the price of berries to rise at local grocery stores. Berry 5.1 may be the solution to this problem!

Although it may seem like a simple task, strawberry picking requires a tremendous amount of skill, speed, and stamina. The berries must be picked in a very specific manner or they will become unsightly due to bruising. Berry 5.1 has claws, which are able to collect berries quickly, but at the same time, in such a way that does not damage them. With that being said, the future of farming may lie between the gears of a robot!

How does xVital Fit into Robotic Farming?

With a surge of innovation for harvesting mechanisms, development of new and improved fertilizers is necessary to complement the robotic farming trend. 

Traditional salt fertilizers are not chemically uniform, which may cause too much or not enough fertilizer to be applied to crops. However, with xVital, you know exactly how much nitrogen is in each bottle. Thus, the amount of xVital applied to different crops can be adjusted precisely to match the needs of a particular crop.

Ultimately, this will reduce excess amounts of nitrogen in the soil, which will optimize plant growth and minimize over-fertilization. Purchase xVital today to increase crop yield in an economical and efficient manner!

 

Sources:

The Robot Farm is Here and Food May Never be the Same

Why Do Visions of Farming’s Future Never Involve Farmers?

The Age of Robot Farmers

Vertical Farming

 

 

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