Our Tech Farmer magazines aim to bring the most interesting technology content from the UK and the rest of the world to you.
Modern agriculture incorporates a diverse range of technologies to enhance productivity, sustainability and efficiency. Precision farming, utilising GPS technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), enables accurate mapping of fields and optimised navigation for farming equipment. Advanced farm management software driven by data analytics and decision support systems, empowers farmers with insights into crop performance and resource allocation. New fungicide and spraying technologies have the ability to reduce the amount of inputs we use while increasing the yields from the crops we grow. At the same time, new varieties are coming to the market all the time and genetic editing (coupled with artificial intelligence) could see step changes in productivity.
Smart equipment, such as precision planting and harvesting machinery, leverages automation and sensor technologies for precise and efficient operations. The Internet of Things (IoT) plays a pivotal role, with sensor networks providing real-time data on soil conditions and smart irrigation systems optimizing water usage. Biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and CRISPR technology, contributes to crops with enhanced traits. Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) aid in aerial imaging, pest detection, and targeted application of pesticides. Blockchain technology ensures supply chain traceability, while innovations like vertical farming and hydroponics offer controlled environments for year-round crop production. We expect to see AI change the way varieties are bred and the speed with which we see new technology to the market.
Collectively, these technologies form the building blocks of how of modern agriculture will evolve, promoting profitability, sustainability, productivity and the responsible use of resources.
Latest Tech Farmer Content
The 5% That Works
Somerset Farm Trial Explores Innovative Water Management Solution for Peat Soils
World Agri-Tech San Francisco 2026: Has the Cycle Finally Turned?
Farmer-Led Innovation Comes of Age
The Smart Connected Farm: Making Sense of Agritech at Cereals 2026
Where is AgTech Really Headed?
For the past decade, the agricultural industry has been sold a vision of the future…
Proving agri-tech
By CEO, Steve McLean, UK Agri-Tech Centre Our ambition is to make the UK the…
A promising start for farmer-led research
One year ago, Direct Driller covered the launch of the ADOPT funding scheme from Defra’s…
Breaking the Resistance
How an olive-derived compound could save UK Oilseed rape from the cabbage stem flea beetle…
Landmark project develops next-generation oilseed rape and smart disease control
Precision-bred oilseed rape will be put to the test in trials on commercial farms for…
You’re Collecting More Soil Data Than Ever. Can You Actually Use It?
How UK farmers are drowning in test results from different tools and labs, and what…
The Precision Revolution: How New Spraying Tech is Rewriting the Crop Protection Rulebook
Written by Chris Fellows The agricultural sector stands on the precipice of a fundamental shift…
Spray precision underpins efficient direct drilling systems
In direct drilling systems, every pass carries weight. With fewer opportunities to intervene through cultivation,…
Reducing nitrogen fertiliser use
By Rosalind Platt, managing director of BFS Fertiliser Services, UK leaders in crop nutrition since…
Where Innovation Gets Real: The Evolution of Cereals 2026
When you walk into Cereals in 2026 (if you can get in past all the…
Mind the Gap: Why UK Agritech is Stuck in the “Time of Monsters”
Written by Chris Fellows The promise of a high-tech farming future is here, but for…
Tradition, trials and tech
Running both a specialist engineering business and his small family farm in Lincolnshire, Chris Marshall…
Precision breeding regulations come into force
The first three gene-edited cereals are being submitted for approval to be drilled in commercial…
Game-changing technologies for farmers: new tools for weed control
I was recently introduced to the RumboJet technology for tackling docks and other weeds such…
Reducing fertiliser without taking all the risk
Exchange Market pays arable farmers to help de-risk practical changes that reduce emissions, for example…
Learning About AI in Farming
We’re constantly told that artificial intelligence (AI) is going to transform farming. There’s no shortage…
On-farm trialists ‘lead the field’
The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) encourages farmers to ‘lead the field’ in agricultural innovation…
New Technology Lets Farms ‘Steam’-roll Weeds & Pests
Written by John Dobberstein and originally publish in No-Till Farmer USA Plough it, spray it,…
Variable Rate Application: The Economic and Agronomic Edge for Modern Spraying
As the pressures on agriculture mount—from climate instability to rising input costs—farmers are increasingly turning…
New Standard for On-Farm Autonomy and Laser Weeding
As farms across the UK grapple with mounting labour shortages, rising input costs, and tighter…
Drones for Spraying Pesticides—Opportunities and Challenges
Erdal Ozkan; Professor and Extension State Specialist—Pesticide Application Technology; Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological…
Alternative technologies in the crop care sector
With increasing regulations and the development of resistance, alternative technologies are becoming more and more…
More Farmers Are Adopting John Deere’s See & Spray in the USA. Here’s Why…
John Deere See & Spray uses AI machine learning and computer vision to identify weeds…
Sustainability and Technology Magazine Sponsor
We are looking for a headline sponsor of Tech Farmer Magazine. To help suppor our aim to help UK farmers adopt more technology and become more sustainable. Tech Farmer is a unique free resource for farmers during their transition from BPS to the new SFI schemes. If this matches your technology and sustainability goals – please do get in touch here.