Opinion: Not your grandpa's farm — how expertise is advancing agriculture in Alberta

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Kim McConnell

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Alberta’s agricultural sector seems to be vastly totally different right now in contrast with 50 years in the past. Overlook the stereotypical picture of agriculture. It’s not your grandparents’ farm — there aren’t any overalls, pink barns or pitchforks.

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Expertise has remodeled the way in which farms look, how they function and the way in which farmers handle their crops, livestock, soil and grasslands. Right now’s farms are high-tech and high-touch, and future innovation guarantees to convey even larger alternative.

Innovation is the lifeblood of many industries and agriculture isn’t any exception. For greater than a century, Canadian analysis has developed new crops, pioneered new manufacturing, and designed and manufactured technologically superior farm tools. These improvements are wanted and adopted world wide.

Right now, innovation in agtech is altering the face of agriculture. Expertise developments in precision agriculture, genomics, fertilizers and drones have already remodeled Alberta’s agriculture business: enhancing yields, high quality and effectivity.

Precision agriculture makes use of instruments corresponding to yield screens, GPS mapping and variable price expertise to exactly map and handle crop and soil information. This enables farmers to make knowledgeable choices about fertilizer utility, irrigation and planting to extend effectivity and productiveness.

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Superior genomics and chosen breeding are broadly utilized in Alberta’s crops and livestock business to boost productiveness, effectivity and vitamin.

Developments in fertilizer expertise are serving to crop farmers scale back emissions. Precision utility and 4R nutrient stewardship are altering how farmers apply fertilizer. Furthermore, farmers are utilizing new expertise — corresponding to good fertilizers that adapt to crop and local weather situations — and fertilizers constructed from metropolis waste, additional contributing to sustainable agriculture.

Drones and robots are additionally being employed in agriculture to watch fields — from assessing crop well being and keeping track of livestock to detecting weeds and pests — and to switch duties folks used to do. For instance, robots can milk cows, feed and water animals, and plant and harvest greenhouse crops.

However innovation doesn’t cease there. Quite a few technological developments are on the horizon.

Farmers are more and more utilizing synthetic intelligence and machine studying to foretell crop yields and establish areas of the sector which might be affected by stress or illness. The web connects farm tools, sensors and accounting and traceability software program, permitting farmers to make extra correct and worthwhile choices.

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Blockchain expertise is being examined in agriculture to extend transparency and traceability in provide chains. This enables the agri-food business to trace their merchandise from farm to desk, offering customers with details about the origin of their meals and guaranteeing the integrity of meals security requirements.

Developments in processing will increase Alberta’s alternative in value-added agriculture. The long run will see the power and agriculture sectors working collectively to supply biofuels from waste corresponding to animal fat, off-grade canola and new-to-Alberta crops corresponding to camelina.

These are only a few applied sciences that proceed to remodel Alberta’s agriculture business.

Nonetheless, there are nonetheless vital boundaries hindering agriculture from reaching its full potential. These embody challenges associated to regulatory approval, infrastructure growth and funding attraction.

Regulatory approval is famously gradual in Canada, and laws differ between international locations. This limits entry to expertise and instruments, placing Albertan and Canadian agriculture at an obstacle. Regulatory approvals in any respect ranges of presidency needs to be extra streamlined and environment friendly.

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Additionally, infrastructure — particularly broadband capability, rail transportation, and Port of Vancouver limitations — is a big problem that wants enchancment. Alberta ought to think about helping with initiatives that require substantial public investments, as the advantages that circulation from them will help agriculture and different industries within the province.

Lastly, attracting funding is a 3rd problem, notably within the $20-million to $100-million vary wanted to maneuver commodity merchandise up the worth chain in areas together with value-added processing. Alberta ought to proceed in its effort to make the province a lovely location for funding and progress.

By addressing these boundaries, Alberta’s agriculture business can understand the complete alternative of expertise.

Kim McConnell is a Canadian agriculture skilled and a contributor to the Enterprise Council of Alberta. This column is a part of a dialogue paper collection by the enterprise council known as Missions and Moonshots, which explores how Alberta can attain its full potential in three key areas of the financial system: meals, well being and power.