Digital Agriculture, Methods and Applications

Digital Agriculture (DA) refers to the practice of modern technologies such as sensors, robotics, and data analysis for improving the sustainability and profitability of farms, while at the same time increasing crops’ yield and quality. Digitalization of agriculture is a technological response to climate change, global warming, and water scarcity that are affecting agricultural productivity and food security. Reports indicate that nearly one-quarter of the global greenhouse gas emissions comes from crop cultivation and livestock farming, which can significantly decrease crop yields. In modern farms, measurements from multiple in-situ sensors combined with images, maps, and data generated by satellites, drones, artificial intelligence, and prediction models are delivering detailed agronomic information on crop conditions and field variabilities to improve various aspects of farming practices whilst diminishing risks and uncertainties.