As technology becomes a larger part of agriculture, what will be changing and which technologies will be integral to modern farming? We take a look:

1.  Drones.

Drones are becoming more affordable and more advanced by the month, with many companies starting up that cater specifically to agricultural markets. The above drone, for example, is able to scan chlorophyll levels of crops for wine growers.

Take a look at some popular agriculture drones here and here.

2.  AgBots.

Agricultural bots, or ‘AgBots’, are being used to automate processes around the farm.

The ladybird AgBot, which is currently only a prototype, moves around crops, detected and exterminates weeds and scans & stores images of crops. It’s able to count flowers and fruit as it passes them. It’s also entirely solar powered.

3. Telematics.

Telematics allow farmers to keep track of entire fleets of vehicles and machinery in real-time, keeping an eye on fuels levels, malfunction and wear.
Although modern machines are coming out with these functions built in, there are also ‘aftermarket’ solutions that allow farmers to adapt their existing resources.

4. RFID Technology.

RFID tech has long been employed when keeping track of livestock, but the technology is being advanced to other kinds of resources too.
A hay harvester has been developed that tags individual bales of hay, allowing you to keep track of when they were harvest, their moisture levels & their nutrition.

5. High Throughput Plant Phenotyping.

Advances in sensors and scanning technologies is allowing farmers to keep a closer eye on large numbers of plant phenotypes. This means that it becomes much more economical to selectively breed advantageous traits.
There are even companies that are working to create systems that monitor plants and use algorithms to select the best plants for breeding. This allows crops to be improved in a natural way with much more speed than ever before.

To download a brochure of our farm buildings, click here. 

1. 1. Look forwards.

It’s easy to get distracted by what’s immediately ahead of you, and by your horse itself. Make sure you’re focusing on the path ahead and that you know where you’re going.

2. Sit upright in the saddle.

New riders have a tendency to keep their bodies low and close to the horse. Try to be confident and ride with an erect back.

3. Heels down.

You might have heard this shouted by an instructor before. It doesn’t mean you should just pull your toes up; you need to adjust your weight so that your heels are lower than your toes.

4. Don’t put your feet too far into the stirrup.

This is a reasonable response for first time riders – they want to feel their feet safely lodged in. This can get your feet stuck if you fall off, and makes it harder for your to balance.

5. Your horse is not a machine.

Most riders start out because they love horses. Always remember that riding is about working with your horse, not forcing it to do what you want. If you work with this idea of mutual respect, you’ll learn faster and better.

6. Have your elbows at your side.

Another tendency for new riders it to lift their arms. You’ll have much more control and will be able to communicate with your horse better if you keep your arms at your side. This allows you to handle the reins better.

DOWNLOAD: Ideas & inspiration for your own indoor arena. 

READ MORE: How much it costs to build an indoor arena.