Today, a variety of modern agriculture tools and technologies are used in several agricultural operations.
It is certainly true that learning these new technologies and knowing their actual price in the market is essential for farmers to have higher productivity in the field, so here’s a list of what needs to be known.
There are different levels in crop production – primary and secondary soil tillage, seeding and planting, cultivation, use and distribution of fertilizers, pest control, harvesting, irrigation, drainage, transport, storage, handling of past crop residues, and others.
Animals have been the main source of energy since ancient times when it comes to labor.
Later, steam power began to change.
Then diesel engines were followed by gas-powered tractors.
The number of farmers decreased in developed countries, but agricultural production increased steadily with the use of agricultural machinery.
Technology in agriculture has changed and increased production and product quality. 
In modern times the farmers doing heavy work on the fields by using traditional and old farming tools are wasting their health and time.
The tractor once known as the technical genius in agriculture is now old news.
Modern agricultural machinery has advanced the agriculture industry to the best of its ability.
Some essential and widely used machines are: combine or combine harvester, rotavator or rotary trailer, plough or plow, tractor-trailer, power harrow, leveler, water bowser, ripper machine, and harrow disc.
Below are some of the latest agricultural machinery and their uses in agriculture, it is needless to say that many of the equipment mentioned below might be already discussed in our previous articles but let's review their technical aspects on a deeper scale.
Plow or Plough
The plow, a basic tillage tool, acts as a tractor-attached tool and helps to cultivate the land efficiently.
These remarkable agricultural machines are used to prepare the land during the planting season.
Whether it is to completely convert a new land into a farm or simply to prepare an existing field for sowing seeds, different types of plows (mold plows, reversible plows, disc plows) allow farmers to turn the soil into a rich substrate and enhance the nutrients for better plant growth.
Combine Harvester
A large combine acts as a comb cutter for threshing as well as for cutting mature crops.
The combine is one of the most advanced machines which helps the farmers by saving a considerable amount of time in harvesting activities.
The multi-crop combination is designed to be suitable for harvesting various cereals such as wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, soybean, oats, sunflower, and rice.
A modern harvester speeds up the harvesting of multiple crops so that the fields can be open for the next crop in the shortest possible time, thereby this equipment increases the potential for production during this period.
Rotavator or Rotary Tiller
A rotavator or rotary tiller is a versatile tillage tool that uses a series of blades to raise the soil.
Rotating tillers are very popular among farmers for preparing seed beds in the fields.
This equipment is mainly used for breaking soil in meadows, fields, gardens, etc.
Due to its simple construction and high efficiency as a tillage tool, the use of rotating tillers in agricultural operations has increased significantly.
Disc Harrow
Disk harrow is an essential tillage implement that farmers can invest in, to increase their production.
This tillage equipment is also used in the secondary tillage process, as it helps to break down the soil mass more easily, efficiently, and quickly, giving it a rich surface while preparing the final seedbed.
It also allows farmers to control weeds around plants after planting and growing crops.
Leveler
These tractor tools make the soil more uniform, smooth, and even, enabling it to create a moist environment for crops and reduce the use of fertilizers, seeds, chemicals, and fuels.
The other different aspects of these equipment have been already discussed in our previous articles including the price but allow us to speak about it at this point as well so we can give you an overview of the market value of the above-mentioned equipment and the reasons behind their prices varying, time to time or region to region.
Machinery and equipment are the main cost items in agricultural businesses.
Larger machines, new technologies, higher prices for new parts and machines, and higher energy prices have all raised the cost of machinery and electricity in recent years.
However, good machinery managers can control the cost of machinery and electricity per hectare.
Making smart decisions about how to buy machinery, trading time, and investment potential can reduce machinery costs by up to $50 per hectare. 
All these decisions require an accurate estimation of the cost of possessing and operating agricultural machinery.
Agricultural machinery costs can be divided into two categories: annual ownership costs, which occur regardless of the use of the machinery, and operating costs, which are totally independent of the machinery usage rate.
The true value of these costs cannot be ascertained until the equipment is sold or damaged.
But the cost can be estimated from some assumptions about machine life, annual use, and fuel and labor costs.
The below-mentioned formula can be used to calculate the cost of a particular machine or operation: The cost of an asset (also called fixed cost) includes depreciation, interest (opportunity cost), taxes, insurance, and housing and maintenance facilities.
Depreciation
Depreciation is the cost resulting from the wear, tear, and obsolescence of the device.
The value of a particular machine may be slightly higher or lower than the average price of similar machines during the course of trade or sale due to the degree of mechanical wear.
The introduction of new technology or a major change in design can suddenly render an older machine obsolete and significantly reduce its residual value.
But the age and hours of accumulated use are usually the most important factors in determining a machine's residual value.
Before calculating annual depreciation, the economic life and salvage value of the machine must be determined at the end of the economic life.
The economic life of a vehicle is the number of years during which costs must be estimated.
This is often shorter than the lifetime of the machine, as most farmers replace one machine for another before it wears out completely.
A good rule of thumb is to have an economic life of 10 to 12 years for most agricultural machines and 15 years for tractors except you know you will be in a deal soon.
Salvage value is an estimate of the selling price of the equipment at the end of its economic life.
The amount you can expect to receive for the used machinery is its actual cost in the market if you sell the device outright or zero in case you sell the device after it is outworn.
You can easily find the estimated residual value of tractors and other classes of agricultural machinery using various resources.
Note that for tractors, combine harvesters and forage harvesters, the number of hours of annual usage is also taken into account while estimating the balance. 
These factors are derived from published reports of auction prices of equipment used and estimates of the "as is" average value of a class of machines at average mechanical conditions on the farm.
The actual market value will vary depending on the condition of the machine, the current market for a new vehicle, and local likes or dislikes for certain models.
Appropriate values should be multiplied by the current price list of alternative machinery of the same size and type, even if the actual machine is purchased or will be purchased for lower prices compared to the mentioned prices.
An example is being used in this article to illustrate the calculations.
Suppose there is a 180 hp diesel tractor with a listed price of $200,000.
The seller's discount is assumed to reduce the actual purchase price to $180,000. Chose 15 years of economic life.
The tractor usage is expected to be 400 hours a year.
In the example for a 180 HP tractor with 400 hours of annual usage, the salvage value after 15 years is estimated to be 23% of the new listing price: Salvage Value = Current List Price x Residual Value Factor = $200,000*23%= $46,000.
Total Depreciation = Purchase Price - Salvage Value= $180,000-$46,000=$134,000.
So, there it is, an overview of the concept regarding prices and values of different machinery, we tried to keep it short but there was quite a lot of information that needed to be mentioned so excuse us if it is a bit longer than expected.
We are sorry for being experts!
Modern farm equipment
Innovation is more important than anything else in agriculture.
To serve this purpose, each area of work needs some sort of update for better and more creative results.
Smart work is essential for both agriculture and technology.
Agriculture in old times was very rudimentary and simple and required a lot of manual labor and its production was not optimal.
But now farmers have a much easier life, thanks to the new techniques and modern types of equipment designed for agriculture.
The agriculture industry, in general, is facing challenges such as rising resource costs, labor shortages, and changing consumer preferences.
Agriculture is one of the oldest and most essential occupations.
Modern engineering along with new tractors and machines have made the agriculture industry one of the most efficient products.
Unlike before, agriculture is not a small-scale production anymore and is done with large-scale machinery on thousands of hectares.
Mahour, An example of agricultural development
The hills were a more difficult target to operate in agriculture than the plains.
Having a dynamic harvest and finding labor for agriculture were the main obstacles.
Mechanical interventions were not done properly in the hilly areas of Mahour and even if they did happen, they were very expensive, and the farmers could not afford them.
Not only men but also a large number of women farmers, have undergone a fundamental change after the introduction of modern equipment.
Women have to take care of family as well as work and hence time has always been a constraint.
Several projects were started especially for women farmers, following which this equipment was later given as a grant to the women farmers in Mahour and they are expected to produce value-added crops.
After production or enhancement of a product, marketing is required, and this is done by people who provide all kinds of equipment free of cost.
According to research, there has been a significant increase in investment in agricultural technology over the past 10 years.
About $6.7 billion has been invested in the last 5 years and $1.9 billion in the last year alone.
Major technological innovations in this area are focused on various zones such as indoor vertical agriculture, automation and robotics, livestock technology, modern greenhouse practices, agriculture, artificial intelligence, and Chinese blockchain.
Modern agricultural technology and equipment are used to develop a wide range of production methods used by farmers.
Tractors, combine harvesters, plows, planters, and UAVs are the most common equipment used on farms.
The agricultural operations for which modern machinery is used are diverse.
At the production stage, these include transportation, storage, pre-marketing, cultivation, seeding, planting, transplanting, pest control, harvesting, drainage, and irrigation.
Machines and Artificial Intelligence have made a huge difference in the lives of farmers.
Most farmers and agricultural workers need to be skilled in setting up and maintaining sophisticated machinery.
Let us talk about the types of modern equipment and the latest equipment available to the farmers and their functions.
As we have already established, the most popular modern agricultural equipment that greatly helps the livestock industry is the combiner which is a large lawn mower.
It can help farmers to cut grass for livestock.
To cut plants, there is a comb cutter called a combine.
It is a versatile machine designed for efficient harvesting of grain. 
The first combine harvesters had a lot in common with today's high-tech giants, which are almost two stories high.
Modern combinations consist of a wide headboard attached to the front.
In addition to the basic functions, there are various combinations in the market.
Contemporary combine harvesters have interchangeable heads for harvesting crops ranging from wheat to corn, soybeans, and rice.
Performance data is recorded using GPS technology and a threshing mechanism.
Sensors have been installed to track the amount of grain slip and the technology assistants are responsible for the same.
The farmer's work bears fruit during the harvest.
However, the work done must be done quickly because the faster and more efficient the harvest, the higher the performance.
Another extraordinary piece of agricultural machinery that is used to plow the land for the planting season.
The plow has more advantages as compared to the tractor as it can easily move the ground by using its powerful blades.
Early farmers could cultivate more land than before, allowing them to produce more crops in less time. Plow burying any crop residue to help control weeds.
The areas are not fertile enough for healthy crops to grow.
The ground must be crushed to bring the nutrients to the surface. Halwa does the same. Raising the soil to bring in all the fresh nutrients and depositing plant debris below where it decomposes.
This process also helps the soil to be able to aerate and retain moisture.
Plowing has come a long way since the early days of using wood and cattle, and now we have expensive machines to plow the soil at a speed that early farmers never imagined.
There may be different ways, but the concept remains the same and is much faster. This technology represents a valuable contribution to product output.
The importance and necessity of breeding cannot be denied.
Many breeding techniques and alternatives have been introduced by farmers and scientists to make farming life easier and better.
Plant breeding has always helped farmers in solving complex changes while pacifying the demands of the farmers.
Both traditional and modern methods are used by growers for plant breeding.
The technology used, has given farmers additional tools to help in increasing crop yields. 
Traditional animal husbandry is an area that is widely overlooked and provides few services, although it is very important.
It provides the much-needed natural and renewable resources that we rely on every day.
Livestock is traditionally referred to as the business management of poultry farms, dairy farms, ranches, and other livestock-related businesses.
Livestock managers are required to keep accurate financial records, supervise workers, and most importantly care for feeding the animals.
According to research, the concept of a "connected cow" is the result of an increasing number of dairy herds equipped with sensors to monitor health and increase productivity.
By placing individual wearable sensors on cows, activities and health issues can be tracked, while providing data-driven insights for the entire herd. Technology and agriculture work great together and make the lives of farmers easier by giving fast results.
Drones and Artificial Intelligence are one of the most popular modern farm equipment in the agriculture sector.
Drones and other machines are used for agricultural purposes such as spraying, planting, transporting perishable goods, and sunlight to control diseases and pests. These operations used to be completely manual and pest control took a long time, and farmers had to suffer in the process.
The advent of modern agriculture and different types of equipment has opened up many new data opportunities. UAVs are a cost-effective investment for farmers and can collect general information throughout the day with the help of remote sensors, satellites, and more.
They can control plant health, soil conditions, temperature, humidity, etc. The amount of data they collect is very impressive and the significance of all that information and numbers is hidden in that avalanche of data.
The remote sensor enables algorithms to interpret the agricultural environment in the form of statistical data that can be useful and beneficial for farmers to make decisions. Algorithms process the data, adapt, and learn based on the data collected. The higher inputs and statistical information are collected, the more exact the algorithm can calculate the results.
This is one of my favorite modern farm equipment. For farmers, weeding is an important part of the process that ensures they maintain a good crop. Automatic weeders in the row are designed to cut weeds efficiently and quickly without worrying about damaging essential main crops.
The Row Weeder Graford Robocop uses tried and tested techniques to locate individual plants by mechanically removing weeds from row to row. Pesticides and herbicides are common, but many people have a problem with potentially harmful chemicals hiding inside.
All these machines use a camera to locate the product, a computer to decide which plants should be retained or removed, and then activate a killing mechanism.
The spray system is also one of the most discussed procedures in which an alternative approach to weed control in the seed line is developed.
Innovations are happening more frequently to improve the lives of farmers. Moving on to the modern greenhouse, the main purpose of a greenhouse is to provide ideal conditions for plant production throughout the year, regardless of location, climate, and other environmental conditions.
Greenhouses are expensive, therefore, not popular in countries like India as they tend to invest more and are usually equipped with sophisticated crop management systems.
Unlike an outdoor crop farmer, a greenhouse farmer can get better yields in a smaller area. As the market has grown exponentially, it has also experienced new trends in recent years.
Modern greenhouses are becoming technologically heavy, using automated control systems and LED lights to fully adapt to the growing environment.
The greenhouse industry is now increasingly capitalized, using venture capital and other resources to build the infrastructure needed to compete in the current market.
Continuing with Blockchain, which has 40% of the world's labor force and the agricultural sector accounts for 6.4% of the world's total economic output.
After the food leaves the farm for the market, it becomes an extensive supply chain with many middlemen. It is very important for everyone to check the quality and production of food before buying it.
Blockchain agriculture is one of the most concrete applications that simplifies the agricultural process of food development and supply.
This helps in controlling large quantities of goods and reduces cases of illegal logging and shipping fraud.
It is a distributed common office process in which the lengthy process of agency and third-party commission is not visible.
Buyers of goods can negotiate directly with the supplier, which speeds up the process and reduces prepayment time.
Companies can save on additional agent costs, and farmers can get the direct bulk sales with China Blockchain features.
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