How Has Technology Changed Agriculture?

In the mid-1940s, U.S. Vice President Henry Wallace spearheaded a program to help developing nations feed their growing populations. The program included four scientists, one of whom was Dr. Norman Borlaug.

Using traditional plant breeding methods, Borlaug started a growing process that allowed plants to thrive with new irrigation and crop management techniques. By the 1960s, the benefits of what was nicknamed the “Green Revolution” were apparent when successful new wheat varieties were made available in countries across the globe.

A new herbicide using glyphosate as the active ingredient was developed. The glyphosate-based herbicide is used by farmers around the world to control weeds in their crops. Roundup® branded glyphosate-based herbicides also made their way into lawn and garden products, which allow landowners to control weeds along sidewalks, driveways, gardens, and fences.

Entities in the Bayer family of companies located outside of the United States conduct the production, sale, marketing, and distribution of Roundup and glyphosate products outside of the United States. These entities are responsible for the content on this webpage; this webpage relates only to these entities and their activities outside the United States. Inside the United States, the production, marketing, sale, and distribution of Roundup and glyphosate products are conducted by a separate company, Ruveon.

The first twin-rotor system combine was created by Sperry-New Holland. This new agricultural technology allowed crops to be cut and separated in one pass over the field. For corn, it not only separated the husk and ears, but also shelled the kernels and chopped the stalks, saving considerable amounts of time, energy and resources for farmers.

Scientists working at Monsanto Company became the first in the world to genetically modify a plant cell. The team used Agrobacterium to introduce a new gene into the petunia plant and announced their achievement the following year. Within five years, these researchers planted their first outdoor trials of a genetically modified crop – tomatoes that were resistant to insects, viruses and crop protection solutions. The Agrobacterium method first used in 1982 is still in use today by Bayer scientists, as well as those working throughout the entire agricultural industry.

For the first time, farmers were able to use satellite technology in agriculture to see their farms from overhead. This new perspective enabled them to collect unprecedented insights to better track their fields' performance and strategically plan for next season based on their farm’s data. 

After years of testing for safety and performance, the first genetically modified row crops became available for farmers. In addition to developing cotton that could better protect itself against damaging insects, the newly introduced soybeans were developed alongside crop protection solutions that enabled farmers to specifically target invasive weeds that compete with the crop for land, water, sunlight and soil nutrients.

Like many people, farmers around the world started carrying mobile devices, which allowed them to stay connected while in the field and access data on the go. Mobile services can support activities such as ordering seed or fertilizer, receiving agronomic information and accessing market information. Availability, use and outcomes vary by location, service, connectivity and individual farm circumstances.

Drones, robots and "intelligent" tractors

Following the launch of GPS technology in the mid-1990s, major farm equipment manufacturers introduced auto-steer capabilities and other automated functions in tractors, sprayers and combines. Ground-based and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) were piloted on farms in the early 2000s, initially for crop mapping and, in later applications, for crop scouting, seeding and spraying. Depending on the equipment, crop, field conditions and implementation, these technologies can support more precise placement, field monitoring and operational planning. Drones are now used in agricultural applications by both large-scale and smallholder farmers in multiple regions.

Through access to real-time data, farmers can make more informed decisions about field management and resource use. FieldView™ is a digital platform that combines data from on-farm practices and agronomic models with local weather and soil conditions to provide farmers with a more detailed understanding of their fields. Farmers can use these insights to inform agronomic decisions; outcomes vary by farm, crop, season, local conditions and implementation. FieldView can also be used to record selected farming practices and, where supported by an applicable methodology and data inputs, estimate or track soil carbon-related information.

Plant Breeding 2.0

Mankind has been breeding food crops for thousands of years. By applying new understanding of a crop’s genome, modern agricultural techniques such as marker-assisted selection, data science and predictive analytics can help plant breeders work more efficiently. This process, called precision breeding, has produced crops with traits such as yield potential and tolerance or resistance to specific pressures from pests, weeds, diseases and adverse weather, depending on the crop, trait and growing conditions. For example, short-stature corn was developed with a reduced plant height intended to help lower susceptibility to greensnap and support compatibility with combine equipment during harvest. Actual field performance and potential reductions in crop loss depend on local conditions and management practices.

In 2012, two researchers, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, made a breakthrough, Nobel Prize-winning discovery called CRISPR – Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. This technology harnesses natural cellular mechanisms for DNA repair and enables scientists to make targeted changes to an organism’s genome. Today, this technology—known as genome editing—is being studied and used by plant scientists to develop seeds with specific characteristics, which may include yield or quality traits, resistance to certain diseases and pests, or tolerance to particular environmental stresses. Performance depends on the crop, trait, growing conditions and implementation, and products remain subject to applicable testing and regulatory requirements.

Advancements in data analytics are expanding how researchers study crop protection, plant breeding and other agricultural applications. These digital tools can help researchers analyze data, model potential outcomes and prioritize candidates for further testing. For example, rather than relying only on screening large numbers of leads, Bayer scientists can use computational approaches to design and evaluate potential crop protection molecules against defined performance and safety criteria, including relevant environmental considerations. These approaches contributed to the research that identified a herbicide candidate with a new mode of action, described by Bayer as the first new herbicide mode of action in 30 years; any related product claims should reflect the applicable evidence, development stage and regulatory status.

The "cloud" connects the world

In addition to supporting innovation within agriculture, cloud computing and data management solutions can help connect information about selected on-farm practices with participants across food, feed, fiber and fuel value chains. Depending on the data available and the methods used, these solutions may support traceability, reporting and measurement for defined sourcing, manufacturing, supply-chain or environmental objectives. Bayer and Microsoft entered into a strategic partnership to develop digital solutions in these areas. Any reported outcomes should identify the relevant solution, users, geography, period, methodology and limitations.

Rise of the "omics"

“Omics” is a collection of tools that enables in-depth study of systems. In Crop Science, we use these tools to understand how complex biological systems work - genomics (genetic codes), transcriptomics (genetic expression), proteomics (proteins) and metabolomics (small molecules) – and create breakthrough innovations that address equally complex challenges. For example, Bayer researchers used “omics” to create the first-ever RNA-interference-based solution for a major food crop: a novel biotechnology trait for corn to control the “billion-dollar bug” – corn rootworm.

Around the world, farmers and researchers are exploring agricultural technologies for urban rooftops, indoor growing systems and locations with challenging growing conditions, including deserts. Controlled-environment systems can help manage selected pressures such as pests, disease and weather exposure and, in some configurations, may use less land or water per unit of production than relevant conventional comparisons. Results depend on the crop, system design, energy source, location, operating practices and comparison method. Closed-loop systems are being piloted in locations including Bayer’s Marana Greenhouse, cities and high-altitude research environments. Rooftop farms may support localized food production and can contribute to site-specific outcomes such as reduced roof-surface temperatures; any broader claims about resource use, air quality or environmental performance should be supported by evidence for the stated location, system and period.

Agriculture has changed substantially, and further advances are under development. Researchers, farmers and other participants across the agricultural system continue to test new ways to apply technology to defined needs in areas such as crop protection, plant breeding, field management and production systems. Each technology and related claim should be described according to its development stage, intended use and available evidence, with outcomes limited to the crop, geography, period and conditions assessed.

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