Cloud computing in agriculture

Abstract

The cloud computing environment is an offshoot of the traditional common computing environment with a mission. Cloud computing is driven by factors such as aging of the current IT infrastructure and changes in IT landscape. Refreshing the infrastructure is restricted due to limited capital investments. Virtualisation and cloud computing have transformed how the IT services are delivered at a lower cost by migrating the services to cloud computing. IT-enabled agricultural farming, such as precision farming, is information intensive, which can impact the rural economy. Therefore, the future growth of agriculture depends how the new technologies such as cloud computing are adopted with a focus on farmer needs. The use of appropriate technologies should help a farmer in terms of accessibility and affordability. Cloud computing in agriculture provides an enabling environment for innovation and services with a flexible regulatory environment.