Agriculture is one of the oldest professions in history, and it has enjoyed many advancements in innovation over the centuries. In that time, science has become a large component of innovation and quality control in agriculture. If you’d like to learn importance of science and technology in agriculture, we put together a few reasons below.
Improved Farmer Efficiency
Centuries ago, our ancestors harvested their crops and prepared their land by hand or with the aid of a horse-pulled plow. Nowadays, farmers are using tractors, cultivators, cultipackers, harrowers, irrigation systems, balers, and harvesters. When mechanization became a reality in the world of agriculture, everything changed for farmers—specifically their efficiency. The technology innovations in farming equipment allowed farmers to complete tasks in significantly less time than it would’ve taken our ancestors.
Digital Farming Techniques
The farming industry also applied several modern technologies to help them better maintain their crops. One technology in particular is GPS, which allows farmers to monitor their acreage and accurately take samples of their soil year after year. Additionally, there are water irrigation systems that farmers can install that allow them to water their crops from their smartphones. Some farms are even utilizing drones to induce pollination because of the lack of bees.
Lab Equipment Ensures Top-Quality Goods and Soil
Of course, the farm—that is, the source—of our food should take quality seriously. With the aid of analytical instruments like chromatographers, we learn more about the nutritional integrity of food. Although chromatography has several uses in agriculture, one of the most useful applications includes the study of agronomy and chemical testing in pesticides.
All things considered, the importance of science and technology in agriculture has made farming a little easier than it was originally. That said, there’s no question that farming is still a labor-intensive career, and farmers deserve more respect than they receive. Without them, how would we make our kale smoothies?
