| |November 20199By helping farmers to budget better for every grain of seed and millimeter of crop protection agent in future, we can help avoid potential harvest losses, increase both yields and quality of the crop globally to exactly the square meter that needs it - and nowhere else. This can help minimize the amount of pesticide used, leading to a healthier crop. Knowledge of the right crops for each soil typeThere are thousands of different soil types around the world. But the soil's quality can vary even within a region or a single field. The more the farmer knows about the soil, the better equipped he is to decide which varieties to sow in a certain area to produce healthy crops and optimal yields. Digital farming is based on individual data elements. Technologies such as crop modeling are used to understand the right crop for each soil type. Such crop modeling calls for a substantial amount of research in collecting, analyzing and visualizing crop models, with a lot of computation behind the scenes. The farmer can then plug in information such as soil type and how much fertiliser was used, and what day it was planted. The software models the crop and gives the farmer information on when to expect the crop to be at a particular growth stage, and what the expected yield will be. Pest and disease managementIf pests and diseases can be managed better through early alert systems, the crops end up being healthier. Drones and satellites are helping farmers work more efficiently by generating millions of relevant data points. Now-a-days satellite imaging allows us to analyse a single patch of land at a resolution of just 30 cm. The ability to analyse highly accurate data from the current growing season and compare it with previous years brings a whole new dimension to modern agriculture. This helps farmers to better predict influences affecting yields and respond more quickly to changes. This means they can take prompt action regarding the health of the crop. By helping farmers to budget better for every grain of seed and millimeter of crop protection agent in future, we can help avoid potential harvest losses, increase both yields and quality of the crop globally ­ and go easy on the environment, as well as the farmers' pocket.
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