I think that "mixed" farming like this article describes has a huge potential for automation by the software field.
Monocrops[0] (homogeneous fields of crops like corn or soybeans) are easy to build automated robots for. We've been doing that for generations now, starting with combine harvesters[1].
But there are many problems with growing monocrops[2]. Pests are a problem -- they breed and spread disease. And on the soil nutrient side, you have to keep re-fertilizing (and often over-fertilize[3]) every year to keep it going. And still nutrients continue to decline in the food that Americans are eating[4].
If, as a field (of software engineers), we can figure out a way to build robots that allow growing and harvesting plants in heterogeneous environments, that will be a significant step forward to fixing these problems. I'm optimistic that it will be possible in the next decade to build it and make it profitable. :)
If you don't have to use fertilizer and pests don't eat your crops because you haven't created the ideal breeding ground for pests + disease, then this problem should be solved by market forces alone. At least, I hope so!
0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocropping
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_harvester
2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocropping#Monocropping_diff...
3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer#Environmental_effec...
4: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/44/1...
Monocrops[0] (homogeneous fields of crops like corn or soybeans) are easy to build automated robots for. We've been doing that for generations now, starting with combine harvesters[1].
But there are many problems with growing monocrops[2]. Pests are a problem -- they breed and spread disease. And on the soil nutrient side, you have to keep re-fertilizing (and often over-fertilize[3]) every year to keep it going. And still nutrients continue to decline in the food that Americans are eating[4].
If, as a field (of software engineers), we can figure out a way to build robots that allow growing and harvesting plants in heterogeneous environments, that will be a significant step forward to fixing these problems. I'm optimistic that it will be possible in the next decade to build it and make it profitable. :)
If you don't have to use fertilizer and pests don't eat your crops because you haven't created the ideal breeding ground for pests + disease, then this problem should be solved by market forces alone. At least, I hope so!
0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocropping
1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_harvester
2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocropping#Monocropping_diff...
3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer#Environmental_effec...
4: https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/44/1...