Climate change is significantly impacting the agricultural industry. Farmers are experiencing yield deficiencies from storms, water cycle changes, increased temperatures and other climate effects. Environmental engineers are working alongside agricultural professionals to bolster resilience on farms.

The agricultural industry supports a significant portion of the global economy. Maintaining abundant crop yields can effectively shrink society’s starvation rate. Targeting greenhouse gas emissions and adverse field effects can increase global food security.

Climate Change and Food Insecurity

The enhanced greenhouse effect directly impacts the global hunger rate. Water scarcity, soil erosion and natural disasters adversely affect crop yields. Today, over 811 million individuals lack access to sufficient quantities of food.

Earth’s rising temperatures increase the evaporation rate. As the water cycle speeds up, some regions experience heavy rainfall while others experience drought. Drastic precipitation changes may cause soil erosion, which depletes vital nutrients.

Soil erosion can increase deforestation and other forms of degradation. It also decreases water retention, which limits the efficiency of photosynthesis. Another agricultural effect of climate change is natural disasters.

Today, 1,734 wildfires are blazing throughout California. The state produces a significant amount of food for the U.S., so fires directly impact national hunger levels. Environmental engineers developed technologies to reduce climate change impacts on the agricultural industry.

Agrivoltaic Energy

A significant technological advancement improving agricultural production is agrivoltaic energy. Farmers are targeting rising temperatures using photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. They can protect low-light crops from overheating by planting them beneath PV panels.

Farmers in Japan protect their crops with solar technologies and produce emission-free electricity. Using clean electricity on farms also prevents future climate change effects. Agricultural professionals may predominantly use solar energy to power their electric equipment and other appliances.

They can also increase their power resilience by installing backup generators. Panel efficiency levels may decrease during hurricanes and wildfires. Generators may prevent power loss and agricultural disruptions down the line.

Water Conservation

Developers are also creating irrigation enhancement technologies to combat water cycle degradation. Smart irrigation systems use the internet of things (IoT) to minimize freshwater exploitation. Conserving water supplies is essential as the global evaporation rate rises.

IoT irrigation technologies use soil sensors to monitor moisture levels. They also access real-time weather readings to prevent overwatering during high precipitation times. Agricultural professionals are also conserving freshwater supplies using floatovoltaic solar panels.

Professionals in California are placing panels over canals to reduce evaporation effects. The panels prevent long-term sun exposure, which prevents water loss. Engineers are also improving wildfire prevention technologies to increase crop yields.

Wildfire Prevention

Environmental scientists developed wildfire detection and response devices using automated technologies. They created drone software which detects over 6,000 fires across ten acres. It can conduct wildfire locating in less than nine minutes.

The prevention technology also creates blaze path predictions to help farmers protect their crops. Some devices have autonomous water distribution features. After identifying a wildfire, the technology can control its spread with strategic diffusion tactics.

Vertical Gardens

The final advancement bolstering farm resilience throughout climate change is vertical gardening. Farmers can move their crops indoors to improve pest and disease control. They may also shrink their carbon footprints using energy-efficient gardening technologies.

Farmers can use light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs to promote photosynthesis in vertical gardens. The bulbs are nearly 75% more power-efficient than incandescent lights. Agricultural professionals can also use precision agriculture to improve crop yields as temperatures rise.

Precision agriculture closely evaluates soil nutrient levels, precipitation and other field changes. After conducting grid sampling, farmers may engage in variable-rate fertilization. Strategic field control may limit crop deficiencies and reduce global hunger rates.

How Are Farmers Integrating Technologies?

Agricultural professionals are improving crop yields through climate change using field digitalization. Farmers can quickly and affordably integrate solar technologies into their practices using the investment tax credit (ITC). The ITC financially supports panel purchases and helps individuals efficiently install systems.

Farmers can also invest in smart irrigation technologies understanding the high return on their investments. Each agricultural conservation system may protect farmers’ crops and prevent financial losses. Over time, individuals will experience more financial security and fewer environmental impacts using resilience-enhancing technologies.