5 Revolutionary Farming Technologies That Transformed the World

Key Insights

If your day began with cotton clothing, a bowl of multigrain cereal with milk, or fueling your car with an ethanol blend, you might want to express gratitude to a farmer.

From clothing fibers to food and fuel, agriculture powers nearly every facet of daily life. Farmers grow cotton for textiles, raise dairy cows for milk, and cultivate grains for both food and energy. They even rear the hogs that satisfy our love for bacon. And as for turducken? That unique blend of turkey, duck, and chicken wouldn’t exist without the efforts of farmers.

What does it take to feed, fuel, and clothe a growing global population? A mix of rain, sunshine, and advanced technology. Today’s farmers are just as likely to rely on GPS systems to monitor crop yields as they are to seek guidance from the Old Farmer's Almanac.

In the 1940s, a single U.S. farmer could feed 19 people. By the 2000s, that number had soared to 155 [source: Animal Smart]. Here are five agricultural technologies that have made such progress possible.

5: The Plow

This ancient invention transformed agriculture. By 3500 B.C.E., Egyptians were tilling the soil with an iron-tipped, wedge-shaped wooden tool pulled by oxen. The plow enabled early farmers to cultivate more land quickly, increasing crop yields and reducing the time needed for planting. It also helped manage weeds and bury crop remains. The design was so effective that plows used in medieval Europe were nearly identical to those used in ancient Mesopotamia, with the only major improvement being the addition of a moldboard to turn the soil after it was broken.

Even in the early 1800s, American pioneers in the West relied on similar wooden and cast iron plows to work the tough prairie soil. However, this dense, sticky soil clung to the plow blades, forcing farmers to stop frequently and clean them by hand.

In 1837, a chance encounter between an Illinois blacksmith and a broken steel saw blade revolutionized plow design. The blacksmith, John Deere, noticed the polished, smooth surface of the steel blade and used it to create a prototype plow. Unlike cast iron, the steel blade resisted clogging in heavy soil. By 1855, John Deere was selling 13,000 steel plows annually, laying the foundation for one of America’s most successful agricultural equipment companies [source: Modern Marvels].

4: Tractors

Before tractors, farmers relied on their own physical strength or the power of oxen, horses, and mules to work their fields. The introduction of portable steam engines marked the beginning of modern agriculture.

By the 1870s, self-propelled steam engines were revolutionizing wheat harvesting in America's heartland. These early machines, precursors to the modern tractor, towed threshing equipment across fields, enabling farmers to separate grain from straw and chaff more efficiently.

By the 1920s, tractors had become lightweight and versatile enough to handle field work. In 1924, the Farmall tractor emerged as one of the first multipurpose machines capable of pulling harvesters and other equipment for planting and cultivating crops. Within a decade, production soared to 200 Farmalls per day to meet demand, and competitors like John Deere introduced similar models. This innovation allowed farmers to cultivate more land with fewer workers, significantly boosting productivity [source: Moore].

3: The Combine

Harvest season is when a farmer's hard work finally bears fruit. Speed and efficiency are crucial, as a quicker and more effective harvest leads to higher yields.

Before mechanization, harvesting was a labor-intensive process. Farmers used scythes to cut crops, manually extracted seeds, and bundled stalks by hand. Even steam-powered threshing machines, which separated grain from plants, required significant manpower.

By 1886, the first self-propelled combine was patented, capable of harvesting 100 acres (40 hectares) per day—a task that previously took days to complete [source: ASABE].

This early combine shares many features with today's advanced machines, which can stand nearly two stories tall. Modern combines still feature a wide header at the front, equipped with blades to cut stalks and feed them into a threshing mechanism. The grain is separated from straw and debris, and a fan directs it into a storage bin on top of the combine.

In addition to these core functions, modern combines come with interchangeable headers to harvest various crops, including wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. They also incorporate advanced technology, such as sensors to monitor grain loss during threshing and GPS systems to track performance data [source: Ganzel].

2: Fertilizer

Before the widespread use of fertilizers, crops depended entirely on nutrients naturally present in the soil. The introduction of commercial fertilizers has been one of the most transformative developments in agriculture.

Commercial fertilizers, composed of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, enable farmers to achieve higher crop yields and reuse the same land year after year. This predictability enhances profit forecasting and reduces the need to clear new land for cultivation [source: Agro Services International].

Farmers began using commercial fertilizer around the same time as the first self-propelled tractors appeared in the late 1880s. Between 1890 and 1899, American farmers used over 1.8 million tons (1.6 million metric tons) of fertilizer annually. By 1989, this figure had surged to more than 47 million tons (43 million metric tons) per year [source: Agriculture in the Classroom]. Globally, fertilizer usage reached 185.1 million tons (168 million metric tons) in 2008 [source: The Fertilizer Institute].

The extensive use of fertilizers has sparked environmental concerns. Nitrates, a key ingredient in fertilizers (including those used on lawns and gardens), can seep into groundwater, posing health risks to infants and vulnerable groups. As a result, farmers must exercise caution in storing, applying, and disposing of fertilizers [source: Harris].

1: Biotechnology

Biotechnology has numerous applications in agriculture, and not all of them are controversial. For centuries, farmers have selectively bred animals and cultivated plants to enhance desirable traits.

However, the use of biotechnology to create genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a more recent development. The first genetically altered plants were introduced in the mid-to-late 1990s. Since then, the technology has been used to produce crops with higher yields, shorter growth cycles, and improved resistance to pests and diseases. For instance, certain genetically modified cotton varieties are so resistant to disease that they require fewer pesticides, reducing the risk of groundwater contamination [source: USDA].

By 2012, biotech seeds were used to plant 94 percent of cotton, 93 percent of soybeans, and 88 percent of corn crops in the U.S. A significant portion of other crops, such as alfalfa, are also genetically modified [source: USDA].

Up to 70 percent of the food products on U.S. store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients, raising concerns about potential allergens, altered nutrient levels, and antibiotic resistance [source: WebMD].

Despite uncertainties about the long-term effects of biotechnology, its role in increasing agricultural output is undeniable. It is transforming how farmers contribute to feeding and clothing the world, especially as the farming population declines. For instance, in 2000, fewer than 2 percent of Americans worked as farmers, compared to 53 percent in 1870 [source: Wieczorek].