Read about the many different innovations in ag that you are likely to hear about in the coming year, 2024.
Advancements and improvements are a part of every industry, and agriculture is no exception. Growing Produce shared an article about innovations in ag that growers can expect to see in 2024. See the details below.
Look for These Innovations in Ag
The article shared these innovations in ag to look for in the coming year:
“Ag Census Releases. USDA conducted its every-five-year census in 2022 into early 2023. We’ll finally start seeing the results of that herculean effort in early 2024.
We’ll learn of any major shifts in crops grown, of states dominances, the demographics of growers, and much more.”
“Green Nitrogen. Green nitrogen or fertilizer flips the script on a sustainable product. Rather than transforming the fertilizer itself, manufacturers are changing how they create it. Instead of using petroleum to manufacture nitrogen, suppliers rely on alternative fuels.
It’s still early days for green fertilizer, with no supply ready to hit the market that we know of. But we expect to see significant progress in the coming year.”
“RNAi. RNA interrupters (RNAi) hold a great deal of promise as a new control. As we gain a much deeper understanding of genetic building blocks, we’re learning new ways to harness its power to our advantage.
It has the ability to silence genes and regulate protein-coding genes, offering optimism for crop protection. It’s such a fundamental cell operation, it potentially promises profound results.”
“Drones. Drones showed a lot of potential 10 years ago when farmers began exploring their use. After the first flush of curiosity, however, their use faded to only a few growers. But the drone industry never gave up. Today, drones can carry liquid inputs, spraying directly onto crops.
In addition to increased ability to carry the weight of liquid applications, drones also benefit from fairly new operating rules. One pilot can run up
to three drones at a time. A second crew member needs to be present to quickly swap out spent batteries and refill
the cannisters.
This is only the beginning. Will we figure out longer lasting batteries and more efficient ways to re-load controls or fertilizers? We’ll soon learn the answers.”
“Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology just may be the most unknown of the developments we’re watching. In the very early stages of research, nano particles have a lot of ag researchers excited. In one of the only peer reviewed journal articles on the tech, the University of Arkansas team wrote: Nanoparticles (NP) offer the potential solution to depleted and dry soils, a method for the controlled release of agrochemicals, and offer an easier means of gene editing in plants.
NPs are tiny. They range in size from 1 to 100 nanometers, a size plant cells and soil microbes can easily absorb. For perspective, a sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick. An atom? It’s 0.1 nanometers.”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.