Nanotech x AI – a super-duo of Precision Agriculture

Saakshi Bangera, DY Patil School of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

Precision Agriculture is a state-of-the-art technology that is transforming the agricultural industry, one challenge at a time. This technique precisely comprises using sensors to remotely monitor the status of a crop. Through specific measuring devices and their software, farmers, in real-time, can identify exactly when and what the crop needs, to ensure optimum production and sustainability. Precision Agriculture allows farmers to analyze numerous parameters of the plant, such as – temperature and water requirement, instantaneously. Special measuring devices collect data about the field and send it over to a control device, through which, necessary requirements can be fulfilled. Satellites are also used to capture real-time images of crops to further improve the decision-making process. For example, the chlorophyll content of developing plants is correlated with the nutrients present in the plant. Using the tools of Precision Agriculture, the chlorophyll content can be measured to reveal its nutrient requirement. Such kind of information can be used to determine the amount and type of fertilizer that should be provided to the crops the next day.

The need for Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture is in great need due to a number of reasons. Some of them are as follows:

• Declining soil quality
• Climate change
• Increasing population
• Depletion of land for agriculture
• Increased food demands
• Depletion of natural resources
• Lack of micronutrients in major food crops

Challenges faced

Farmers have been adapting the novel techniques of precision agriculture to improve crop yield with reduced human effort. However, there are various challenges faced during the application of these techniques. Environmental interference is one of the major issues faced. Sensors in the field are quite sensitive to the weather fluctuations like rain or wind speed. A bad climate can hinder communication between satellites and control devices.  Another one of the major concerns faced during agriculture is nitrous oxide emission. Nitrous oxide is released 300 times more than carbon dioxide due to excessive nitrogen fertilization and contributes to global warming.

Nanotechnology to the rescue

Despite the challenges faced, nanotechnology can uplift the “precision” in Precision Agriculture. Precision agriculture with artificial intelligence and nanotechnology can create tremendous potential in overcoming the challenges faced by other techniques of precision agriculture. Nanotechnology opens new opportunities to bring sustainable agriculture closer to reality. This approach can help both the plant and the soil to perform in its best possible manner. Nanotechnological biofertilizers are capable of targeting specific glitches like, correcting the atmospheric nitrogen content or increasing the moisture content in the soil. The problem of increasing nitrous oxide content in the atmosphere can also be targeted using nanotechnological fertilizers. 

How nanotechnology can revolutionize precision agriculture

Nanotechnology offers immense opportunities to enhance agriculture in numerous ways. The increasing challenges faced by the planet can be countered using nanotech and AI. Production rates and crop yields can be improved while creating stronger adapted versions of crops. Soil health can be given a solid boost with nano fertilizers. Not only that, available resources can be rendered more efficient, thus reusing available assets for better functioning. With the AI-nanotech duo, sustainable agriculture can be made possible.

Also read: Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells & Tumorigenesis

Source:

1. Zhang, P., Guo, Z., Ullah, S. et al. Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence to enable sustainable and precision agriculture. Nat. Plants (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-021-00946-6
2. Shafi U et al. Precision Agriculture Techniques and Practices: From Considerations to Applications, Sensors (BaseI), 2019 Sep; 19(17): 3796. DOI: 10.3390/s19173796
3. University of Birmingham. (2021, June 24). Nanotech and AI could hold key to unlocking global food security challenge. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 25, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210624114428.htm

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