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Benefits and Limitations of Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Precision Farming

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Benefits and Limitations of Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Precision Farming

Precision farming is a new and innovative way of farming that utilizes modern

technology, such as GPS systems and sensors, to increase yields and decrease inputs. It

incorporates data and technology to improve efficiency and productivity. In recent years, there

has been a growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI), especially in its potential applications

in precision farming. AI has the potential to help farmers manage large amounts of data, make

better decisions, and improve yields. However, there are also potential risks associated with

using artificial intelligence in precision farming, including the potential for increased dependence

on technology and the potential for data breaches. Generally, the adoption of artificial

intelligence in precision farming has both advantages and disadvantages in one way or the other.

Firstly, artificial intelligence can assist farmers in making more accurate predictions on

crop yields, forecasting weather patterns, and determining the optimal times to grow and harvest

crops. According to Patrício & Rieder (2018), farmers can use this information to make more

informed decisions about planting and harvesting crops and how to best care for them. They also

argue that this helps them avoid over- or under-producing, which can lead to significant financial

losses. AI can also help farmers reduce their reliance on pesticides and herbicides and increase

efficiency. This knowledge can assist farmers in increasing their crop yields while

simultaneously reducing their levels of financial loss.

The adoption of artificial intelligence in precision farming can improve communication

between farmers and other stakeholders by providing them with accurate and up-to-date

information about crop conditions, soil moisture levels, and other vital factors. This information

can help farmers make better decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and other agricultural
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practices. In addition, artificial intelligence can help identify patterns and trends in data used to

improve farming practices.

Fig 1:DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2018.2844296

The above image shows how automating crop monitoring, irrigation, and pest

management chores, using artificial intelligence in precision farming, can decrease the time and

labor needed to maintain a farm. According to Elijah (2018), farmers may have more time on

their hands. As a result, it allows them to concentrate on other facets of their enterprise.

Additionally, it can help to improve the efficiency of farms and the quality of their products.

AI allows farmers to quickly and accurately identify problems in their crops and then take

corrective action to address those problems. According to Ampatzidis et al. (2020), this can
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result in increased yields, reduced inputs, and improved efficiency. In addition, AI can help

farmers make better irrigation, fertilization, and pest control decisions.

Artificial intelligence in precision farming can help farmers adapt to and mitigate the

effects of climate change. For example, AI can monitor crops and soil health and predict how

they will respond to changes in temperature, rainfall, and other environmental conditions.

Farmers can use this information to choose when to plant, how to rinse, and what kinds of crops

to raise. AI can assist farmers in lessening the effects of climate change on their crops and

increase overall yield.

On the other hand, obtaining agricultural data might be complex because AI systems need

many data to function correctly. The data required to train an AI system may not be available

from public sources, and farmers may not have the time or money to gather the data. Data may

not be precise or representative of the situations in which farmers will utilize the AI system, even

if it is easily accessible.

Additionally, according to Sharma et al. (2020), there is a concern that the use of AI in

precision farming may lead to job losses in the agricultural sector as machines increasingly

replace human workers since machines increasingly replace human workers. With the devices

able to do the work more accurately and efficiently, there would be little need for human workers

in the agricultural sector. Incorporating these devices could lead to mass unemployment in rural

areas, as the farming sector is one of these areas' primary sources of employment.

Furthermore, the technology is still in its early stages of development, and there are

concerns about its reliability. The issue means there are still some disadvantages to using AI in

precision farming. According to Di Vaio et al. (2020), one of these disadvantages is that the

technology cannot accurately identify all the different types of plants and crops, leaving the
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farmers to identify the plants and produces on their farms manually. Another disadvantage is that

the technology is not yet able to predict a crop's yield accurately; thus, the farmers may be unable

to get the most out of their crops. In addition to that, the technology is expensive, and there are

concerns about its affordability.

Although AI has many potential benefits for precision farming, there are also some

limitations. One fundamental limitation is the cost of AI technology, which can be prohibitive for

some farmers. Additionally, AI technology is still evolving and changing rapidly, making it

challenging to keep up with the latest developments. Further, AI-based systems can be complex

and challenging to understand and use, limiting their usefulness for some farmers. Implementing

AI in precise farming is an exciting technology that needs adoption in modern agriculture.

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References

Ampatzidis, Y., Partel, V., & Costa, L. (2020). Agroview: Cloud-based application to process, analyze and

visualize UAV-collected data for precision agriculture applications utilizing artificial intelligence.

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 174, 105457.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2020.105457

Di Vaio, A., Boccia, F., Landriani, L., & Palladino, R. (2020). Artificial intelligence in the agri-food system:

Rethinking sustainable business models in the COVID-19 scenario. Sustainability, 12(12), 4851.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/12/4851

Elijah, O., Rahman, T. A., Orikumhi, I., Leow, C. Y., & Hindia, M. N. (2018). An overview of

Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics in agriculture: Benefits and challenges. IEEE

Internet of things Journal, 5(5), 3758-3773. DOI: 10.1109/JIOT.2018.2844296

Patrício, D. I., & Rieder, R. (2018). Computer vision and artificial intelligence in precision agriculture for

grain crops: A systematic review. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 153, 69-81.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2018.08.001

Sharma, A., Jain, A., Gupta, P., & Chowdary, V. (2020). Machine learning applications for precision

agriculture: A comprehensive review. IEEE Access, 9, 4843-4873.

DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3048415