• GIS technology in agriculture and GPS agriculture
• Satellite imagery.
• Drone and other aerial imagery
• Agricultural information technology and online data
• Combining data sets

As a result, today’s farms are reaping significant benefits from digital technology in agriculture, which is constantly evolving. These benefits include reduced consumption of water, nutrients and fertilizers, reduced negative impacts on the surrounding ecosystem, reduced chemical runoff into local groundwater and rivers, increased efficiency, lower prices and more. In this way, businesses become profitable, smart and sustainable.

GIS Technology in Agriculture
Because fields are location-dependent, GIS technology is becoming an incredibly useful tool in terms of precision agriculture. Using geographic information technology in agriculture, farmers can display current and future changes in precipitation, temperature, crop yields, plant health, and more. It also allows GPS-based applications to be used along with smart technology to optimize fertilizer and pesticide application; given that farmers do not need to treat the entire field, but only certain areas, they can achieve savings in money, effort and time.

Satellite Data
Predicting crop yields as well as conducting near real-time satellite monitoring of fields to detect a variety of threats using satellite data has never been easier than with the introduction of innovative technology in agriculture.

Sensors can provide images in a variety of spectra, allowing the application of multiple spectral indices, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI allows you to determine vegetation composition, number of wilted plants, and overall plant condition. Next is the plant chlorophyll content index (CCCI), which helps with nutrient application. Then the Normalized Difference Red Edge Index (NDRE) determines nitrogen content. And finally, the Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI) is designed to minimize the impact of soil background in the earliest stages of plant development; the list goes on.

Drones: Data from the Sky Technology
With the help of drone technology in agriculture (drones), farmers are able to determine crop biomass, plant height, weed presence, and water saturation in certain areas of the field with high accuracy. They provide better and more accurate data with higher resolution than satellites. When they are working in the field, they provide valuable information even faster than scouts. Drones are also considered unbeatable helpers in insect control; insect infestations are prevented by applying insecticide to dangerous areas using unmanned technology (drones), while reducing the chance of direct exposure leading to chemical poisoning.

Although drones are easy to use and can collect large amounts of data in a short amount of time, there are still problems with their continued use because the technology is not cheap. Drones are almost helpless where mapping or monitoring of large areas is required, and it is better to complement this technology with satellite monitoring of already mapped areas where specific areas need to be rechecked.

Online Data: The Key to Precision Agriculture.
To make it easier to monitor agricultural fields, EOS has developed EOSDA Crop Monitoring, a digital platform that uses satellite monitoring to speed up a farmer’s decision-making so he doesn’t miss an important moment of field treatment. Here are some of the features available on the platform:

Data Consolidation.
Sometimes in the EOSDA Crop Monitoring platform, you have to mix different data sets to get valuable information about your fields. For starters, the user can compare the performance of their field to the average performance of all the fields in the area. To overcome this problem, technology is used to compare multiple datasets from all the fields in your area. For now, such comparisons are only available using the NDVI vegetation index, but in the near future we will expand the analytical capabilities of the Platform by adding new indices.

The next important function, modern information technology in agriculture using multiple data sets, is the analysis of weather data. It consists of the following options:

“Plant Frost” informs you of low temperatures that threaten your winter crops.
“Frost Threat” highlights days when temperatures have dropped below -6 ℃ to assess damage to early crops from frost.
“Drought Threat” reflects days with temperatures above + 30 ℃ to assess damage from heat stress.
This feature of new technology in agriculture also provides the ability to monitor precipitation and temperature.

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1. A solar-powered chicken coop.
   This chicken coop on wheels was designed by Designers on Holiday (DOH) for the Environmental Center in San Juan Capistrano, California, as an automated solution to help simplify poultry care. This coop can be easily transported from place to place, plus it has a solar sensor that automatically opens the side panels during daylight hours. The coop boasts a comfortable design for feathered residents and a fairly modern exterior aesthetic, making it a modern addition to the household.
2. Remote monitoring of the farm
   Farmbo, an Australian company that specializes in remote monitoring solutions for agriculture, recently released a new technology product called the Farmbot Duplex Satellite Monitor (“Farmbot Duplex Satellite Monitor”). This new solution, powered by the Internet of Things, uses satellite communications to provide two-way communication between farmers and their agricultural infrastructure.
3. Farm boxes by subscription
   With the fashion for healthy lifestyles abroad, paid subscriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables delivered directly from farms have become very popular. The principle is simple: on a certain day of the week and at a certain time, customers are regularly delivered the amount of fruit or vegetables they need from farmers they trust. This service is increasingly used by residents of large cities.
4. Vegetable meat production
   While people in Russia have become accustomed to plant-based milk, the alternative to traditional meat is only just beginning to gain momentum. According to NielsenIQ, the share of meat on the basis of vegetable proteins in the country in 2021 accounted for less than 0.5% of the turnover. However, judging by the success in other countries, this area has great potential. There are advances in Russia as well. While sales of conventional meat in the largest retail chains fell 3% in the past 12 months, sales of plant-based meat rose 4%. And, in convenience stores and online retailers, sales grew 323% and 83%, respectively, and the positive trend can be seen in almost all regions of the country.

5. Greenhouses on roofs
   In the realities of megacities with their ever-increasing needs, rooftop greenhouses are becoming more and more popular. Such initiatives allow residents to eat healthy food, as well as learn all the intricacies of agriculture, so to speak, in miniature.

One such rooftop greenhouse is located in the city of Rousselaer in Belgium. The facility was designed by Meta Architectuurbureau and Van Bergen Kolpa Architecten. It was officially named Agrotopia and was added to the roof of an existing agricultural market.

6. Plant-based cheese production
   Abroad, the success of plant-based cheeses is growing rapidly. In appearance and taste, plant-based cheeses are similar to dairy cheeses, but contain no milk protein, fat or animal ingredients.

For example, Swedish startup Stockeld Dreamery makes plant-based cheese from peas and fava beans. And Daiya recently stirred up the dairy-free cheese market with its new product, Italian 4 Cheeze Style, a blend of vegetable cheeses made from chickpeas. It tastes of parmesan, mozzarella, provolone and asiago. Previously, in 2021, the brand introduced a similar blend, but with Mexican flavors. Such blends have no dairy, soy or gluten content, but are capable of transforming a large number of appetizers and main courses.

7. A platform for bull breeders
   Australian organization DataGene launched the Good Bulls app to simplify the process of breeding cows. Now it will be much easier for farmers to find bulls with good genetics thanks to a database of animals with many filters. They can now be sure that the animal they find fully meets the criteria that are important to them.
8. VR glasses for cows
   Scientists have recently officially proved that cows feel much better when they see a picture of a summer field in front of them. Accordingly, they milk better. But not all farms can afford to freely graze cows in a meadow. What to do? That’s right: immerse the cows in virtual reality, which will allow them to achieve the effect of “total immersion” in the cow’s illusionary paradise.
9. Cover crop finder apps
   Practical Farmers has released Find Cover Crops, an app designed to make it easier for farmers to find anything related to cover (fallow) crops sown to improve soil quality. This can include products, i.e. seeds and equipment, as well as services – such as spraying, aerial photography, drilling, maintenance and so on. The app is available in the Apple and Google Play stores.
10. Seaweed Cow Food
    This feed is called Asparagopsis taxiformis, after the Latin name of the algae itself. It was invented by a startup called Symbrosia. The food is produced in Hawaii. In fact, the food is a waste product from fish farms. Scientists at the Symbrosia startup proved that cows that eat red seaweed produce much less methane than cows on traditional feed.

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10th place. Japan
Agriculture remains an important industry in Japan’s economy, although its share of GDP is about 2.0%. The country’s agriculture employs 4.1 million people (6.6% of all workers). The dwarf type of farms prevails – sometimes a plot of land has less than 0.5 hectares. Japan satisfies 70% of its food needs through domestic production, including full satisfaction of demand for rice. Livestock is not so well developed: the small size of the country does not allow to allocate space for pastures and fodder crops. Therefore, animals are kept on imported fodder, mainly corn. Fishing plays a big role in providing the population with food. Marine products provide 40% of the animal protein in the Japanese diet.

9th place. Argentina
Food production is traditionally one of the main sectors of the economy (8-9% of GDP). Agriculture in Argentina almost completely satisfies its own food needs, especially the production of grains and oilseeds, which are also exported. The country ranks second in South America and third in the world in soybean production and export. Virtually 100 percent of soybeans produced are of transgenic origin. Agricultural land covers 138 million hectares in the country, ¼ of it is crops and ¾ is grassland and pasture. Livestock is very well developed, especially cattle – Argentine meat is exported to many countries, as is milk.

8th place. Turkey
57% of the population is employed in agriculture. It accounts for about a quarter of the country’s GDP, and the share of agricultural products in exports in some years up to 60%. Crop production occupies the leading position in Turkish agriculture structure – about 58%, livestock production – 30%, flax cultivation – 6%. Turkey ranks 3rd in Europe by the area of cultivated land (24.9 million hectares). Grain crops occupy 85% of the areas under crops.

7th place. Pakistan
Pakistan not only covers its agricultural needs, but is also a net food exporter. The country exports rice, cotton, fish, fruits (especially oranges and mangoes) and vegetables. Pakistan is the largest market for camels in Asia, the second largest market for apricots and ghee, and the third largest market for cotton, onions, and milk. The most important crops are wheat, sugarcane, cotton, and rice, which together account for more than 75% of the total crop value. Livestock accounts for almost 11% of Pakistan’s GDP, which is even more than the crop sector.

6th place. Nigeria
Agriculture employs 65% of the population. The main food crops are yams, yams and corn. Cocoa beans (340 million tons), natural rubber (112 million tons) and cotton (0.4 million tons) are also grown. 31.29% of the land is cultivated. The main export crops are cocoa beans, peanuts, soybeans, rubber trees, oil palm, sugar cane, and cotton. Nigeria is one of the main producers of peanuts, cocoa beans and soybeans on the African continent. The constant demand for Nigerian cocoa (the country ranks 4th in the world in terms of production) is due to its high taste qualities. Most farms are focused on the cultivation of cocoa beans; falling world cocoa prices usually lead to a sharp decline in income and impoverishment in rural areas. Pineapples, bananas, beans, potatoes, cassava, corn, mangoes, papaya, millet, rice, sorghum, tobacco, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and yams are also grown.

5th place. Brazil
The country is in the top three in terms of agricultural production. Thus, Brazil supplies the world market with about 6% of all agricultural products of the planet. Brazil is primarily the production of coffee, soybeans, corn, sugarcane, cocoa and bananas. In recent years, Brazil has been harvesting at least 600 million tons of cane annually. This figure is a record in the world. Corn is the most widespread of all grains: Brazil harvests two crops of it every year. Brazil is an excellent pastoral economy (the amount of grasslands is very rich), the total number of cattle has reached 170 million, well developed pig breeding (30 million pigs), sheep breeding (20 million sheep), fish farming, etc.

4th place. Israel
Israel pays the most serious attention to the development of industrial agriculture, despite the fact that only 20% of the land in the natural environment is suitable for agricultural production. The main branches of agriculture are citrus fruits, vegetables, cotton, beef, poultry and dairy cattle. Despite the far from ideal agroclimatic conditions, the country has become a major exporter of fresh vegetables, flowers and a world leader in agricultural technology. Israel provides 95% of its own food needs, importing only cereals, oilseeds, meat, coffee, cocoa and sugar. 15% of its production is destined for export markets. Israel mainly exports vegetable products: potatoes, peppers, avocados, carrots, flowers, herbs, salads and more. These products are exported to markets in Europe, America and the Far East. The agricultural industry is characterized by a close relationship with science. In recent years, cherry tomatoes a little larger than the size of a cherry, bush cultivated batch watermelons with an average weight of about 500 grams, strawberries, which are grown on trellises.

3rd place. U.S.
Aggregate income from agriculture: $290 billion. Cultivated land, grasslands, pastures occupy almost half of the U.S. territory. Agriculture employs only 3% of the population. The average size of farms in the country is about 50 hectares. Crop production in the USA is the leader of agrarian complex of the country. Grain crops cover 2/3 of all the land. By gross crop the USA is the 3rd in the world after China and India. But it is the first in corn and soybeans. The main cereal crop is wheat, which is harvested in excess of 90 million tons. Corn is the national crop of the United States, which accounts for almost half of the world’s harvest. Legumes occupy a special place, their harvest reaches 3/5 of the world volume. Agriculture not only provides for the country’s needs, but also for export. The United States is a leader in the development and cultivation of genetically modified field crops.

2nd place. India
Aggregate income from agriculture $4134 billion, it employs more than half of the country’s population. Farmers predominantly grow rice; wheat is the second most sown area. Other important crops, in descending order of acreage, are sorghum, pearl millet, corn, and millet. All of these tend to be grown on relatively infertile soils unsuitable for rice or wheat, while growing corn is preferred in hilly and mountainous areas. Legumes, of which chickpeas are the most common, are the main source of protein for most Indians, since the consumption of animal products is either a luxury or forbidden for religious reasons. Sugarcane, peanuts, coconuts, mustard, cotton and rape seeds, tobacco and tea are widely cultivated. Although Indians eat little meat, livestock plays an important role in the agricultural economy. Today India has the largest herd of cows in the world.

1st place. China
The total income from agriculture in the country is $ 1 trillion 88 billion, China has 95 million hectares of cultivated land. Often three or more crops are harvested from a single cultivated area in two years. In South China, many fields produce three main crops and up to five vegetable crops per year. Agriculture in China has been shaped by its vast territory and varied climatic conditions. The country produces about 500 million tons of grain, including 185 million tons of rice. Among food crops, wheat ranks second in importance. And by the collection of corn (over 100 million tons per year), the country ranks second after the U.S. in the world. The country is one of the world’s largest suppliers of many varieties of tea. Millet, oats, hayfields, rye, buckwheat are also grown. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are the root crops and soybeans are grown as well.

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Israel: making the desert fruitful
A country seemingly not designed for agriculture is making phenomenal progress in the agricultural sector. On just over 20 thousand square kilometers, most of which is desert, farmers in Israel grow vegetables and fruits. It allows not only to satisfy the domestic needs, but also to export goods – the citrus and tropical fruits are supplied from here to nearly 40 countries, including about 20 European countries. In the total volume of exports of crop products accounts for about 3%.

The deficit of fresh water arising because of a small amount of precipitation makes it necessary and widespread use of drip irrigation systems. Israel was one of the first countries in the world to use this technology. Plants receive a strictly necessary amount of moisture, and special sensors that collect data on the state of the soil in the plots of land monitor this.

The development of the Israeli agricultural company Roots – smart pipes that are laid in the soil. The RZTO (Root Zone Temperature Optimization) system calculates and sets the optimal soil temperature for each plot. Root zone pipes heat the root zone in the winter and cool it during the summer, maintaining a relatively stable temperature. The pipes, which run over the surface of the soil, are also used to condense moisture from the air and irrigate the plants. According to the company’s latest data, smart pipes are already being used in greenhouses in the Jordan Valley, the Sharon Plain, the agricultural communes of Karmia and Ein Yahav, when growing cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, basil and lettuce. After introducing the technology, yields of the different crops increased from 10 to 66%.

Japan: launching cows into the clouds
Only 15% of Japan’s land area is suitable for farming. To compensate for the scarce natural resources, the country relies on the development of smart technologies that increase farmers’ productivity. Automatics, sensors, and sophisticated technology are used in many areas of agriculture, including livestock farming, which is still very underdeveloped. With the help of the Internet of Things, farmers monitor the physical condition of cows and even their moods.

The system developed by Fujitsu, one of Japan’s largest IT corporations, is called GyuHo SaaS (“walking cow” in Japanese) or Connected Cow (“connected cows”). The animal wears a special bracelet that counts steps taken during the day. Data on herd activity is sent to the cloud, analyzed and transmitted to the farmer’s smartphone or computer. The information is updated every hour, so specialists can adjust feeding, milking and sleeping of the animals. Disease in “connected cows” can be detected at an early stage, because the animal that is unwell will move less.

But the main task of the smart bracelet is to calculate the favorable period for conception. The sensor allows you to do this with a high degree of probability, because during the heat period the number of steps taken by the cow increases many times. As a result, according to the developers of the system, the success rate of artificial insemination increases from 44% to 90%. The system also predicts the delivery date and allows remote monitoring of the process.

The system was actively introduced in Japan in 2013. About 40 thousand cows were connected to the system. According to Forbes, by 2017 Fujitsu technology was used on 64 farms in Japan, Korea, Poland, Romania and Turkey.

Norway: Getting a health card for every salmon
Norway is one of the main suppliers of salmon to the world market. Fish farms are gradually replacing commercial salmon harvesting here. The main enemy of fish farmers is the crustacean Lepeophtheirus salmonis, known as salmon louse. The parasite multiplies on the skin of salmon, causing serious damage to fish health and huge losses to businesses.

Trying to solve the problem, Norway has been developing an on-farm fish detection system since 2016. The technology is now being tested at Cermaq Group, one of Norway’s largest salmon and trout farms. In order to identify salmon infected with the parasite, each individual is scanned using sensors and 3D cameras. The system differentiates fish based on unique spots around the eyes, mouth and gills, and each individual caught in the lens receives its own virtual health card. This allows specialists to constantly monitor the health status and weight gain of each individual and can spot in time if a fish is sick and send it to quarantine.

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