Anene Ndubisi Kelvin
Ohanu Victor Chibueze
Joan Nneamaka Eze (Ph.D)
Department of Agricultural Education,
Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba Delta State, Nigeria
For correspondence, email: ndubisianene63@gmail.com
Abstract
The global agriculture sector is faced with critical challenges in achieving sustainable food production and environmental sustainability. This study investigates how precision farming through upcoming technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), remote sensing, robotics, and blockchain has the potential to transform agricultural production towards sustainability. Through a scrutiny of the coupling of these technologies, the study investigates how precision farming optimizes resource utilization, enhances crop defense, and maximizes soil condition and water utilization. The research highlights the technologies that facilitate information-based, place-specific farming and minimize input losses and environmental damage. Even with the evident advantages, precision farming has hurdles to face, ranging from high capital requirements to technical intensity, human skill deficiencies among farmers, and privacy and cybersecurity issues around data. In addition, insufficient strong infrastructure, like stable internet and power, particularly in rural settings, slows the large-scale application of these technologies. Through case studies in such markets as SubSaharan Africa, as in Ghana’s e-Soko and Nigeria’s Hello Tractor, the study emphasizes the potential for localized adoption of precision farming technologies. The paper recommended that the major strategies for overcoming these barriers, including government support through policy frameworks, public-private partnerships, investment in infrastructure, and capacity building. It also offers future directions, such as combining digital twins, bioinformatics, and quantum computing, which will further revolutionize farm practices.
Keywords: AI, Emerging technologies, IoT, Precision farming, Sustainable agriculture.
