Smart farming key to developing sustainable agriculture

Robots weeding the fields, applying fertilizer, and harvesting fruits. Drones flying over crops collecting biomass development and fertilization status information. Tracking livestock by virtual fence technologies. These are just some of the technological advances that can “provide novel ways into a profitable, socially accepted agriculture that benefits the environment (e.g., soil, water, climate), species diversity, and farmers in developing and developed countries.”

The coming fourth revolution in agriculture triggered by information and communication technology is the focus of a new opinion article in PNAS, entitled “Smart farming is key to developing sustainable agriculture.” The feature is written by a team of authors from ETH including Profs. Buchmann, Walter, and Finger as well at Dr. Robert Huber and highlights major opportunities and challenges associated with this revolution. The authors contend that “advocates and skeptics of technology need to engage in an open dialogue on the future development of farming in the digital era.” Only with such dialogue and “by considering new technologies in conjunction with a diversity of crop and livestock systems, as well as the relevant markets and policies, can farming in the digital era become smart farming.”

Read the full article in PNAS external pageherecall_made.