Precision agriculture and big data are familiar concepts in the world of farming. Now, the “Internet of Things” – devices with sensors that transmit data and respond to instructions via a digital network – is being sized up for agriculture. The founder of an agricultural technology startup says farming has a data-driven future, reports the New York Times. Lance Donny of OnFarm Systems believes that, as the Times put it, “inexpensive sensors, cloud computing and intelligent software … hold the potential to transform agriculture and feed the world’s growing population.” Investors put nearly $2.1 billion into agtech startups in the first half of this year, compared to $2.4 billion in all of 2014.
During a workshop last week in Silicon Valley, Donny predicted that in the near future water and fertilizer could be applied and monitored closely, even on a plant-by-plant basis, a description that sounds like precision agriculture with a magnifying glass. The payoff would be higher productivity and more efficient use of resources. Donny said it also could answer consumer demand to know the origins of their food. The advantages for U.S. growers are obvious, but Donny says the technology could be rocket fuel for farmers in the developing world. According to the Times, “Higher yields and less waste, he said, can be achieved with better information on weather, soil conditions and market demand for specific crops — all delivered via cellphone.”