The growing use of technologies in agriculture is helping turn farms into factories. Known as “precision farming” or “precision agriculture,” this evolving method of agriculture aims to increase productivity in farms while keeping costs low. Genome editing is a key aspect of precision farming, as it is used to develop an understanding of the genomic makeup of a crop or animal to ensure it has the genetic characteristics that farmers desire. Companies in the precision agriculture field are also examining microbes to aid in greater crop yields; using airborne instruments for multispectral analysis to help farmers analyze which crops are thriving without physically being in the farm; and developing agricultural robots to industrialize farming completely. Precision agriculture is thought to help increase farmers’ profits through less expenditure and more yields, as well as decrease food prices for consumers. Currently, vital crops such as rice and wheat have plateaued in their yields in heavily farmed regions of the world, and new technology is required to bring yields of these crops in other regions up to the same level.

Source: The Economist