02 November 2021
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Taking the Edge off
CLOUD computing in agriculture has been a breakthrough and a game-changer for the industry. But its limitations, especially the lack of real-time connectivity, have led to the introduction of edge computing, allowing for a faster and fiercer reaction to perils imposed on agribusinesses by weather, soil, poorly automated machinery, etc.
The use of data is rising exponentially in the agriculture industry as AI-powered systems change the rules of the game with intelligent automation. Cloud computing can help farmers with real-time computation, data access, and storage to users without them knowing or worrying about the physical location and configuration of the system that delivers the services.
According to SourceTrace, 73% of cloud and edge computing users from non-agricultural industries believe that the cloud and edge computing have reduced infrastructure costs, while 74% claim that they have alleviated internal resource pressure.
However, Intellias, a provider of software engineering solutions, says that when it comes to agriculture, there are challenges that cloud technology farming cannot deal with on its own.
Low security, insufficient speed, and high costs are the downside.
Edge and cloud computing in agriculture are two completely different technologies that are not interchangeable. The key difference between them is that edge computing is used to process time-sensitive data, a key issue in agriculture, while cloud computing works best for data that is not time-sensitive.
Edge computing enables improved computer vision, which, when empowered by a mix of 5G and IoT, gives farmers an opportunity to complete ad hoc tasks automatically and in the most efficient way. This is something cloud computing farming is not capable of. For example, analyzing information from drones requires more than masterfully developed software.
Edge computing offers farmers a plethora of solutions, which might make it easier for them to implement various technologies such as GPS and GIS to automate and refine their day-to-day agricultural operations, according to Intellias.
Source: Intellias
