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The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), reports that in 2020 Russia exported $7.6B in fertilisers, making it the first largest exporter of fertilisers in the world. Recent events in Russia saw the plummeting of fertiliser supplies playing a huge role in the skyrocketing prices of fertilisers, worldwide.

However, the recession or pocket depression somehow empowers innovation in the minds of those who study solutions to a problem.

The question remains, how?

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In a world of the exceptional and the despicable, there's always an alternative to a variety of aspects, including fertiliser farming.

In the context of the alternative, one solution, in most cases, is often not viable depending on projected outcomes. The agriculture industry is structured through an ecosystem that allows the growth of the entire population through the reliance of each element and when one is no longer serving, the entire habitat, including profits, drowns.

Start with Non-Fertiliser Farming

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Biological farming is an approach to crop and livestock production that promotes the use of natural inputs, to benefit human health and the environment. The use of organic fertilisers has the advantages of being cheap, improving soil structure, texture and aeration, increasing the soil's water retention abilities and stimulating healthy root development. Organic fertiliser has many sources such as minerals, animal sources, sewage sludge and plants.

There are other alternative ways to fruitfully farm. Agroecology sounds like a newly coined term - it is not. Identified in the scientific literature from the 1920s, Agroecology is the application of ecological concepts and principles in farming. Agroecology promotes farming practices that mitigate climate change - reducing emissions, recycling resources and prioritising local supply chains.

Although agroecological farming shares some of the same principles as biological farming, agroecology is not associated with a particular type of agriculture. Conventional and biological farms alike can take an agroecological approach to manage farmland. Biological farmers who use agroecological practices build healthy soil, conserve water, protect pollinators and keep the air and water clear of harmful pesticides.

Add on the Innovation

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Opting for biological farming or agroecology seems like a hands-on choice. Innovation is about thinking differently to minimise hard labour. Agricultural technologies, robotics, and novel biological controls and inoculants, all have the potential to accelerate an agroecological transition by making it a more reliable and viable option for farmers of all scales.

Agricultural advice on the use of technology is too often left to companies with incentives to perpetuate conventional, input-intensive farming. Impartial advice rooted in good agroecological practice needs to be made available and promoted. Investment in intelligent technological tools in agriculture can create wider avenues which includes learning and advancement, for farmers while balancing the books and profit.

Agritech solutions, such as HYDRA, are built for the entire agriculture community, to transform data into value across farm security, livestock and crops management, asset management, capability management, finance, risk management and sensors.

With HYDRA's resource management function, a farmer or farm owner can use the platform to track fertiliser consumption and progress by gaining deep insights and real-time analysis. The awareness of the breakthrough of your crops means insight into the progress and impact of soil nutrition on your harvest goals. This improves the efficiency of the methods of production, with all your farm information aggregated in one view and having remote real-time awareness of your farm.