Food production practices across the world are marred by the problems of pest infestations and diseases. Implementing proper pest management strategies has become imperative for each and every food producer. Agritech has been enhancing various aspects of farming and transforming the agricultural production processes significantly. What if we could also enhance crop protection with the help of agritech-based pest management?

The major concern for farmers and agribusinesses today is the huge loss incurred due to pests and diseases. For years, chemical pesticides were a cheap and seemingly one-size-fits-all solution that prevented pests from affecting the crops. However, what farmers of the past didn’t realize was that such an approach is unsustainable. Moreover, the excessive use of pesticides has enabled pests to evolve and develop resistance against various pesticides.

With billions of mouths to feed, how can the global agriculture industry meet the food needs effectively without undue environmental harm? Agritech based pest management, a holistic approach to controlling pests in the modern world, can be the answer to this.

Remote Pest Management Through Maps and Geo-tagging

Farmers or farm managers often come across various pests while working on the farms. However, they do not possess the knowledge of identifying the category of the pest and taking appropriate action to eliminate it. This can be only done with the help of expert agriculture consultants. The use of maps can be a great way to get the help of agri experts and bolster your pest management efforts.

Geo-tagging the location of pests can enable agri experts from any part of the world to observe the pest, identify its type and track its growth through a map. Subsequently, such information aid in determining the extent of disease that the pest can cause. This way, pest management using maps can be valuable for strategic planning against pest attacks and diseases.

Sensor-based Monitoring of Pests for Precise Control

In recent years, the execution of integrated pest management (IPM) has brought a major development related to agricultural pest management. It combines the use of beneficial insects with minimal use of chemicals and tech-driven precision agriculture to improve agricultural efficiency and quality of output.

Monitoring pest insect population remains a key issue in crop protection. Sensors can be placed at various locations across the farm for pest detection. Thermal and infrared sensors are also used to detect insects of a few millimetres in size that cause different numerous diseases in the fields.

Acoustic sensors are also further making headway in agritech based pest management that detect bugs and rodents through sound. These sensors can pick the sound waves of insects. Based on locations with high sound waves that indicate a higher concentration of bugs, farmers can spray pesticides appropriately across their farmland.

Predictive Analytics to Track Pest Infestation Patterns

When it comes to farm and agribusiness management, it is essential to continuously monitor weather conditions to plan future activities accordingly. In recent times, IoT devices as well as predictive analytics capabilities, have been adding value to agricultural operations. Tracking the weather conditions and breeding patterns can help in identifying the threat levels of pest populations.

Assessing historical data about pest infestations as well as tracking weather conditions can help agribusinesses accurately determine the risks of pests and diseases. Using such information gathered from pest detection sensors, predictive analytics can help establish trends and patterns of probable pest outbreaks or swarm attacks. In this manner, agritech-based pest management, in the form of predictive analytics can suggest steps for the prevention of potential pest attacks.

Hyperspectral and Multispectral Imaging for Rapid Detection of Pest Threats

Agritech based pest management relies on site-specific management tactics to reduce the risk of pest attacks and diseases. Early detection is extremely critical to limit the proliferation of pests, the spread of diseases and to curb losses. This can be beneficial in warding off the pests before they grow and spread across the farm. Agritech based pest management can help agribusinesses achieve that.

With higher spectral sensitivity i.e. the ability to capture a higher amount of light reflecting from a surface, hyperspectral imaging produces superior detection at the early stages of pathogen development. Additionally, it is less sensitive to external factors including illumination conditions, thereby ensuring high classification accuracy.

Multi and hyperspectral cameras, as well as true-colour cameras, are commonly used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), agribots, etc to detect changes in the physical structure and biochemical functioning of plants. This way, agritech-based pest management can be instrumental in identifying the threat level of pest populations and mitigating their risks at an early stage.

Drones and Robots Offer Smart Pest Management Solutions

Drones and robots also play a key role in agritech based pest management. Drones use sensory imaging technology and thermal camera to collect widespread data and produce high-resolution images. These images and associated data can be analyzed and interpreted for greater insights into the fields, resulting in timely action against pest problems and targeted application of pesticides.

Agricultural robots can also reduce the overall use of pesticides and provide greater precision to pesticide application. Moreover, these robots can enable more accurate use of fertilisers and pesticides so that pests that cause extensive damage are eliminated while sparing those that may benefit the crop.

The use of these systems subsequently influences the adoption of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for agritech based pest management. AI and farm analytics can be used to evaluate data obtained from sensors, cameras, UAVs, drones, and robots to draft better and more effective pest management plans.

Agritech is expected to change the face of agriculture in terms of efficient food production, pest management, farm operations, and related businesses. With the rapid penetration of advanced technologies, agritech based pest management is beginning to play a crucial role in the agricultural production process across the globe. FarmERP, with ultra-modern agritech offerings, can help you completely eliminate the concerns of pest management from your farms. Get in touch with us to know more.