Regardless of size, here is your must-have list of equipment before you start growing.
Whether you're planning to grow fruits and vegetables for your family, create an award-winning flower garden, or grow commercial, here are some must-have equipment options to consider. Because like everything in life, nothing stays the same, and agriculture is no different.
Many trends are emerging from the ever-growing AgTech industry (short for agriculture technology.) One key trend to understand is the IoT (internet of things) or IoTAG (internet of thing in Agriculture,) which covers the umbrella of smart farming. The main component is the use of IT and various technologies like sensors, control systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, automated hardware, data collection, and analytics.
Focusing on the three main components used in precision farming, Control Systems, Sensors, and Analytics & Data is key to understanding the foundational elements bringing the agriculture industry into the technological revolution.
Control Systems:
The access to high-speed internet, mobile devices, and cloud-based servers has changed the way farmers and growers alike track, manage, and analyze their operations. With customizable components to fit any type and size of farming operations, these control systems allow for real-time 24-hour monitoring from anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to the internet. Along with monitoring, these systems enable cultivators to remotely adjust watering schedules, climate, lighting, and much more remotely, saving valuable resources. Especially helpful when working remotely.
Sensors:
The soil moisture probe technology provides complete in-season local agronomy support and recommendations to optimize water use efficiency. These sensor technologies for soil and water management link to one central, local, and cloud-based database to take advantage of the benefits in precision irrigation and soil nutrient monitoring.
Analytics and Data:
With the growth of cloud-based storage, our ability to store data has become infinite. Being able to store this data allows computer software to look at historical data points specific to individual operations and pinpoint analytics to learn, adjust, and increase information to assist for the next harvest cycle. All this data usage and learning help lead to increasing efficiencies, thus lowering operating costs.
The adoption of precision farming in agriculture is not only here to stay but proliferating as access to technology expands. More and more operations are leaning towards a more technologically connected farm and growing enterprise, with real-time 24-hour control and monitoring systems with integrated soil, water, and environmental climate sensors, all while connected to the cloud for data storage and analytics. With enhanced crop quality, higher yields, improved use of resources and farm equipment, real-time monitoring, soil and plant sensors, real-time climate monitoring, automated irrigation systems, fertilizer spraying, and pest control, the ROI can be limitless.
So regardless of what or why you grow, check out these incredible technologies that can enhance your growing experience. Growlink is a leader in AgTech and can assist in any size grow operation. Conley's is another commercial retail equipment business with plenty of options.
Enjoy growing!
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