Discuss the steps you would take to reform a frustrated farmer and encourage him / her to adopt a recommended agricultural innovation.

Digitization in the modern age means that almost every contemporary field or industry is becoming more and more reliant on hardware connected to and, in some cases, controlled by software. These industries are being transformed from the inside out by innovative technology and practices, and even traditionally analogue ways of life are finding it difficult to resist disruption.

Agriculture is a prime example of one of these industries, with the experts at Maryville University actually including it as one of ten "on fire" fields for up-and-coming software developers.

"The agriculture industry has experienced a massive technological shift of late," they write. "Precision agriculture involves big data, drones, sensors, and farm management software ... Environmental controls, cellular agriculture (micro farms), smart packaging technology, gene manipulation, and e-grocer businesses have also pushed the entire agricultural business world into the computer age."

These innovative practices and technologies may very well prove to be more than just the future of farming and agriculture - they may be the very keys to the survival of the human race.

Here are five innovative agricultural practices and technologies that are changing the world.