How to Leverage Managed IT for Successful Crop Yield

The challenges facing the agriculture sector are increasing in scope and complexity. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion by 2050, which means that food production will need to increase by 70 percent in order to meet the demand.

But it’s not the sheer amount of food that needs to be produced that is the only challenge. The agriculture sector also needs to become more efficient and sustainable in order to meet the demands of a growing population.

Why Farmers Are Investing in Managed IT for Agriculture

Success in agriculture depends on very specific conditions—conditions that are becoming increasingly volatile. Extreme floods and droughts are decimating crops. It’s especially hard to rely on old technologies to predict changes in rainfall, winds, and dramatic temperature changes.

The FAO predicts that up to 40% of crops are lost to insects and pests and that plant diseases cost us more than $220 billion a year.

To meet the challenges of the future, the agriculture sector will need to embrace digitalization and leverage technology to meet the changing needs of our world. 

Now that there are AgTech tools to predict consumer trends, remote sensors, autonomous farm equipment, and food traceability, farmers need to leverage technology to stay competitive. According to experts, these tools can be the difference between successfully overcoming the challenges facing the agricultural sector and succumbing to them, but only if they’re managed properly.

Managed IT service providers—or outsourced IT providers—help farmers use these tools to their maximum potential through support such as 24/7 monitoring, helpdesk, strategic consulting, and more.

Managed IT Solutions Farmers Benefit From

The agriculture sector is increasingly relying on technology to help it become more efficient and sustainable. Here are some of the main tools farmers are leveraging to become more precise in their operations and successful in their crop yields: 

Climate Projections

One of the most important ways that technology can help the agriculture sector is by making climate predictions.

With the help of managed IT services, the agriculture sector can make use of climate projection models to help them better understand how changing weather patterns will impact their crops. This information can help farmers to make decisions about when to plant certain crops and how to protect them from changing weather conditions.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics can help farmers use data to make decisions about what crops to plant, when to harvest them, and how much to irrigate them. The data can also be used to predict pest and disease outbreaks, as well as to forecast weather patterns.

By using predictive analytics, farmers can make informed decisions about their crops and get a better yield. They can also avoid losses due to floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events.

Specialized Hardware

There is a lot of discussion these days about the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it will change the world. The IoT is a network of physical objects that are connected to the internet and can interact with each other.

The agriculture sector is one area where the IoT can make a big impact. By connecting agricultural equipment to the internet, farmers can remotely monitor their crops and soil conditions. Managed IT solutions can also include automating tasks such as irrigation and crop monitoring. This type of specialized hardware can help farmers to save time and money, as well as increase their crop yield.

Precision Agriculture

The application of precision agriculture is one way that technology is being used to improve the efficiency of agricultural production. Sensors, global positioning systems (GPS), and other technology enable farmers to more precisely target their planting, irrigation, and harvesting. This results in less water and energy being used, as well as fewer inputs such as fertilizer.

Machine Learning

Machine learning has a huge trajectory of growth within the agricultural industry. Machine learning is helping AgTech companies develop smart weeding machines to decrease the need for pesticides. Right now, many farmers are benefiting from managed machine learning technologies that provide real-time data on crop performance analysis, successful gene combinations, and other economic factors. 

Streamline Your Agriculture Processes with Zirous

IT support services can help the agriculture sector keep up with demands and become more sustainable. At Zirous, we have a team of experienced IT professionals who understand the unique goals of the agriculture sector. If you’re looking for ways to use technology to improve your agricultural business, we can help! 

Contact us today to learn more about how you can transform your business with managed IT for agriculture.