Promoting digital agriculture through big data for sustainable farm management

Digitalization of agriculture may be a solution to feed a huge growing population in the future. Application of big data is a key tool to digitalize the agriculture sector. Though there is a long debate on its applicability to agriculture, this study aims to address how big data technology contribute to digital agriculture in terms of sustainable farm management. The study uses an extensive review of current research work and studies in agriculture for exploring the best and compatible practices which can help farmers at field level for increasing production and improving quality. This study reveals several available big data technologies and practices in agriculture for solving the current problems and future challenges at the field level. The study reveals that application of big data technologies in agriculture is growing but still at low level. It also explores that there are a few technologies used for crop production, plant protection, livestock production, fisheries, post-harvest management and market development. The study finds out some challenges such as privacy of data, data availability, quality and openness, financial investment, lack of expertise and context specific technology. The study recommends that a large-scale adoption of agricultural big data technologies require government initiatives, a public-private partnership, the openness of data, financial investment and regional basis research work.