The agricultural sector is passing critical thresholds due to climate change and water scarcity. Against this background, technology stands out not only as a tool for increasing efficiency, but also as a strategic area of transformation that makes production smarter, more sustainable and more resilient. This new era, ranging from sensors to autonomous tractors, from data analytics to artificial intelligence-assisted decision systems, portends a radical paradigm shift in agriculture.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Çolak, Head of the Faculty of Agriculture, Agricultural Machinery and Technological Engineering at Ankara University, said that agriculture, which began in human history, experienced mechanical and industrial transformation with steam engines, tractorization and Green Revolution applications after the Industrial Revolution.
Pointing out that sensors, big data, IoT and artificial intelligence supported systems in the Industry 3.0 and Industry 4.0 process with the introduction of information technologies have brought agriculture into a digital, autonomous and data-based structure, Çolak said:
“Thanks to mechanization in agriculture, very large areas can be cultivated in a very short time. People can only overcome the time pressure that climate change brings with it with such an energy source. Our farmers have to use tractors because, in view of climate change, you have to enter the ground as soon as the arable land is consolidated. You have to carry out the planting accordingly. The time for this is very short. Sometimes it takes hours. Therefore, the tractor offers a great opportunity here.”
Çolak explained that floods, floods and excessive rainfall caused by climate change make it necessary to make climate-based decisions in agriculture, and therefore, as agriculture develops towards 5.0, the climate-based intelligent precision agriculture process has evolved and decisions are now made with agricultural technologies supported by data engineering and cloud computing systems instead of with farmers.
“As always, the neighbor dictates the amount of fertilizer, so I can add as much as I want.”
Pointing out that it is possible for machines to work despite the climate by transforming them into intelligent systems, Çolak said: “Climate change has begun to determine the direction of agricultural technologies. This is where sensor technology comes into play as data recorded.” gave his assessment.
“The most important indicator of precision agriculture is the use of variable input levels.”
Stating that technology and digitalization have been put into practice in the era of precision agriculture, Çolak continued as follows:
“The most important indicator of precision agriculture is the use of variable input rates. That is, you apply as much fertilizer and pesticides to one part of the land as it needs, to the other part as much as it needs, and you irrigate based on the yield maps of the land from a year ago.”
Robot fleets are being established in agriculture
Pointing out that data analysis and technology will be used much more in all phases of agriculture in the near future, Çolak made the following assessments:
“There will be autonomous robots. By 2050, they will definitely be in the field. In fact, they will be in fleets, not just as a single robot. They will go to work in the same way that workers in a cooperative go to work. Whatever the yield is in that region, and another robot will confirm it. So there will be progress in agriculture. Autonomous systems will definitely dominate.”
Emphasizing that methods to support healthy and reliable food production are being developed through the mobilization of robotic fleets, drones and unmanned vehicles in agriculture, Çolak said that farmers can easily manage these systems remotely using mobile applications or smart machines.
Recalling that according to research, the average age of farmers is between 58 and 62 years old and that the younger generation is turning away from agriculture, Çolak concluded his words as follows:
“The difference between generations is important in terms of proximity to technology. The young generation in particular is very close to technology and has the ability to use technology much more efficiently and quickly, but this young generation is not involved in agriculture. They are moving away from agriculture. Therefore, robots may have to come into play here. For Turkey, the exodus of the young generation does not yet pose a major threat.”
Bir yanıt yazın