It is known that big data has found its way in every economic sector in the past few years. Currently, it is being applied to agriculture as well at a very fast pace. Big data is a combination of analytics and technology that collects and processes data in a better way to assist in effective decision making. The chief motive behind introducing advanced technology into agriculture is to enhance efficiency, profitability, and sustainability. Precision agriculture captures relevant data from multiple sources and transforms it into actionable information to upgrade business processes and solve problems. 

Real-time information on how farmers use the resources guide in performance optimization. Decision making during changing weather conditions or disease outbreaks is easy with these insights. Robots play a major role in assisting humans in analysis and planning. Therefore, several agri-tech companies are reaching out to the farmers to make the practice available and approachable. In this post, we shall see how big data is going to influence agriculture in 2020. 

What do Big Data do in Agriculture? 

If it is true that big data has proven to show serious advancement in fields such as healthcare, IT, education, etc. then there it is required in the agriculture industry too. The majority of farmers follow conservation practices to maintain and enhance soil health. However, measurement tools ensure sustainable farming in the future. 

With the autonomous vehicle devices, predictive weather stations, imaging satellites, and land mapping drones various useful information is collected. This information guides farmers in deciding how much to irrigate a field, what to crop, and predict the weather, pest, and drought conditions. Also, big data requires less manpower which is an added advantage. 

The data tools also assist in maintaining yields and meeting the food demands of an ever-increasing population. Albeit, this is done while securing the available natural resources. Hence the ultimate aim of collecting data is to analyze the available data and derive an actionable solution. This would bring a massive positive change in the field. 

What are the Advantages of Big Data in Agriculture? 

Data helps every single party involved in the agricultural industry right from the poor farmers to banks, insurance agencies, seed suppliers, and many others. Although most of its potential for value generation remains unclaimed still, it has started to bring in seismic changes in the industry. The various benefits it offers are: 

• Development of better products due to access to the plant genome. 
• Precision farming techniques help in deriving informed decision making. 
• Sensors and analytics assist in preventing food spoilage and food-borne illnesses. 
• The democratization of information and technology shows a drastic shift in the supply chain of crop inputs. 

What are the opportunities offered by Big Data in Agriculture?

Bringing a competitive advantage with better decision making is the objective of analyzing the data. It is expected that the global food demand would be doubled by 2050 thereby expecting the farmers to produce more with the lesser resources available. In this scenario, innovative techniques such as precision farming will help in developing agriculture with a multitude of opportunities. Hence, applying the broad-brush approach to data analysis in 2020 helps farmers adopt new practices for a better tomorrow. 

Currently, in 2020, the major challenge faced in agriculture is to deliver real-time insights accurately. This has led to the need for advanced algorithms to quickly unwrap the valuable information to monitor if the products are performing as expected. Big data makes customizations of product offerings possible to meet the customer needs as it changes. Besides, analytics also helps in developing pricing strategies that match pricing and value. 

Related – How Big Data Business Analytics can do wonders in 2019?

Bottom Line 

Big data remains to be a key factor for every organization in every industry in taking effective decisions and stay ahead of the competition. Hence, the above-mentioned advantages are sure to depict significant changes in the agriculture industry too. By the end of 2020, the farmers and ranchers will be on the technological track in farming, establishing betterment in every aspect of the field. 

I hope this post helped you understand how technology will change agriculture in 2020. If you are curious to discuss it, please leave your comments in the comment box below.