Water is a precious life sustaining natural source, crucial for the environment and development. It is also instrumental in the economic growth and survival. Water scarcity leads to reduction in economic productivity & vitality which in turn results into poverty. Farming or agriculture holds its position as the basic source of food across the world. Efficient and productive agriculture necessitates convenient and controlled water supply as abundance as well as scarcity both negatively impact the agricultural cycle. Thus, advancements in irrigation is of utmost importance for reducing the losses concerned with agriculture.
Water Scarcity- A Crucial Problem
Owing to ever-increasing population, especially in cities, there is a significant rise in demand for waste water generation and potable water. Estimation states that water consumption witness 2X growth in every twenty years which is twice more than human population growth. Almost one-fifth of the world population faces water scarcity problems. Many arid regions suffer from lack of physical access to water resources. In addition, challenges are faced owing to economic water scarcity which is mainly induced by lack of investment in management & construction of water resources for meeting required demand for water. Also there aren’t enough monetary means for obtaining clean & adequate water.
Smart Irrigation System Estimated to Improve Productivity in Farming
Internet of things (IoT) and Technology today have made our businesses and lives much more convenient as compared to that in the past. Owing to the challenges faced due to water scarcity, advancements in agricultural have resulted into smart irrigation systems. Smart sprinklers & irrigation controllers help farmers to reap high quality crops, reduce water consumption and simplify garden care & home lawn. Instead of fixed timers, smart irrigation systems harness data from sensors, plant-care databases and weather forecasts in order to determine watering needs and provide right amount of moisture at the right time. Moreover, smart irrigation systems help in water bill reduction and monitoring plants from any corner of the world using web & mobile apps.
Factors Propelling the Growth of Global Smart Irrigation Market Include
- Cost expansion for farming operations
- Utilization of automated irrigation solutions for increasing farm profit
- Increasing government initiatives for promoting water conservation
- Increasing research & development for development of reliable irrigation scheduling solutions
- Soaring interests on development of smart irrigation solution using IoT (internet of things)
- Endless advancements in monitoring and sensing technologies
- Increasing necessity of controlling and monitoring water requirements owing to inadequate rainfall & water scarcity
However, unawareness on potential benefits drawn from smart irrigation solutions and high cost of implementation are some factors impeding the growth of global smart irrigation market in the near future, as per a study by Future Market Insights (FMI).
Technology Changing the Shape of Agriculture’s Future
Technology is not only about faster and better but also sustainability. Farmers are adopting to moisture sensors, smart irrigation, drones, terrain contour mapping, GPS-enabled and self-driving tractors for more sustainable production of food. Several types of sensors are being deployed, for example, a multispectral sensor mounted on a drone captures data that enables the farmers for predicting the ways of watering crops. Also mounting this sensor on a tractor helps in the detection of nitrogen requirement for crops.
Following are some Trends Expected to Assist Farmers for a more Sustainable Farming
- GPS-enabled tractors and self-driving tractors- For programming routes and navigation across the field
- Wearables for cows for their inspection including their activity, behavior, temperature which in turn helps in the improvement of cows’ health & comfort
- GPS technology in agricultural equipment to help farmers with crop scouting, soil mapping and field mapping
- Sensors for detection of moisture content in the soil helping farmers to create irrigation systems on the basis of soil temperature and moisture
The information presented here is sourced from Future Market Insights latest. A free sample of this report is available upon request.
Author: Abhishek Budholiya is a tech blogger, digital marketing pro, and has contributed to numerous tech magazines. Currently, as a technology and digital branding consultant with Future Market Insights, he offers his analysis on the tech market research landscape. His forte is analysing the commercial viability of a new breakthrough, a trait you can see in his writing. When he is not ruminating about the tech world, he can be found playing table tennis or hanging out with his friends.
