Today, in 2022 it seems as if digitization has arrived in all industries. First and foremost is agriculture. Tablets, smartphones and drones are now part of everyday life for many farmers. Being a farmer means something completely different today than it did a few decades ago. But how has the agricultural practice changed and what are the effects? The most important facts about digital agriculture and agriculture 4.0 can be found in this article.
This is behind the term Agriculture 4.0
Anyone who goes back a few years in the development of agriculture quickly sees that farmers have always been among the pioneers when it comes to change and further development. For example, they were one of the first industries to use GPS to collect data that can be used to optimize harvester routes and save significant amounts of fuel. And that for several years.
Compared to other sectors, agriculture is open to digitization. A current study by Rentenbank shows that apps and digital systems for herd management have long been an integral part of the everyday life of many farmers. This shows that the transformation of farms towards digital agriculture has long since begun.
flexibility? Optimization?
new installation? Service?
We would be happy to advise you without obligation – on these and all other matters!
The use of modern information and communication technologies is characteristic of digital agriculture and thus of the topic of agriculture 4.0. These enable the comprehensive networking of a wide variety of smart machines. These communicate with each other and save the farmer a lot of time, money and nerves. In addition, they are good for the environment and promote species-appropriate husbandry of farm animals - high-tech makes it possible.
Digital Farming - This is the farm of the future
Today, in 2019, it seems as if digitization has arrived in all industries. First and foremost is agriculture. Tablets, smartphones and drones are now part of everyday life for many farmers. Being a farmer means something completely different today than it did a few decades ago. But how has the agricultural practice changed and what are the effects? The most important facts about digital agriculture and agriculture 4.0 can be found in this article.
This is behind the term Agriculture 4.0
Anyone who goes back a few years in the development of agriculture quickly sees that farmers have always been among the pioneers when it comes to change and further development. For example, they were one of the first industries to use GPS to collect data that can be used to optimize harvester routes and save significant amounts of fuel. And that for several years.
Compared to other sectors, agriculture is open to digitization. A current study by Rentenbank shows that apps and digital systems for herd management have long been an integral part of the everyday life of many farmers. This shows that the transformation of farms towards digital agriculture has long since begun.
flexibility? Optimization?
new installation? Service?
We would be happy to advise you without obligation – on these and all other matters!
Contact us!
The use of modern information and communication technologies is characteristic of digital agriculture and thus of the topic of agriculture 4.0. These enable the comprehensive networking of a wide variety of smart machines. These communicate with each other and save the farmer a lot of time, money and nerves. In addition, they are good for the environment and promote species-appropriate husbandry of farm animals - high-tech makes it possible.
That is why farmers need digital change
While a farmer around the year 1900 only had to provide for a few people with his earnings, today on average it is well over a hundred people that one farmer has to provide for. The constantly growing world population ensures a permanently increasing demand for products. Productivity in agriculture is increasing faster and stronger than in many other sectors - and with it the consumption of resources. At the same time, awareness of environmental protection and sustainability is increasing. To be able to combine low-loss yields on the one hand and the lowest possible environmental impact on the other, digital agriculture with all its advanced technologies is required.
Unlike in other industries, farmers deal with living plant and animal organisms whose development depends to a large extent on external factors such as the weather and is therefore difficult to predict and control. To work productively, but at the same time efficiently, in an environmentally friendly, high-quality and sustainable way, the technologies of agriculture 4.0 are in demand. Because if implemented correctly, digital agriculture can help to save pesticides and fertilizers, improve animal health and conserve resources.
Agriculture 4.0 - that already exists
One thing is certain, digitally supported agricultural technology has long since arrived in arable farming and animal husbandry. Certain application techniques ensure that fertilizers and pesticides can be dosed variably. Automatic yield mapping makes the work of the combine harvester just as efficient as self-steering machines. Robots relieve farmers when milking and give them valuable time that they can use more sensibly elsewhere. The same applies to robots that help with feeding and manure. Digital farming also makes it possible to support farmers in day-to-day herd management using sensors, databases and other digital tools.
Digital agriculture also promises a kind of “salvation” when it comes to the issues of a shortage of young people and skilled workers: the use of digital technologies makes it possible to plan and distribute tasks much more sensibly and time-efficiently. The skilled workers that exist are not lost through the use of modern technologies, such as robots, but can instead use their manpower for other, important tasks. In the long term, this makes agriculture competitive and sustainable.
Digital farming - the challenges
One of the challenges of Agriculture 4.0 is revealed in connection with the topics of skilled workers and the shortage of skilled workers: training and further education. Because the new technologies are not all self-explanatory and still need to be used correctly. It is primarily up to politicians and educational institutes to strengthen training and further education in agriculture. Digitization requires qualifications and farms can only implement digital change with well-trained employees. Digital technologies and their application should be an integral part of all curricula.
Then there is the big issue of the Internet. In rural areas, in particular, broadband expansion is rather sluggish and the network is often poor. In addition, data interfaces are missing in many places and the compatibility of the apps used could also be better. Closer cooperation between farmers and IT experts could remedy the situation and push digital agriculture even further in its implementation.
Data protection in digital agriculture
Wherever digital technologies are used, a lot of data is inevitably generated. And they want to be managed, used and, above all, secured. Because data protection and security are also important issues in agriculture, which are closely linked to Agriculture 4.0. On the one hand, farmers should be able to use all data optimally for sustainable production. Big data is the keyword here that should lead to even more environmentally friendly and efficient agriculture.
On the other hand, all of this data must be protected against misuse and unauthorized access. Appropriate encryption techniques are already in use. Constantly further developed, they should enable secure handling of data at all times. But here, too, there is potential for improvement.
The growing transparency in production and better traceability of the products are also typical of digital agriculture. This is particularly important for downstream industries such as food manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Agriculture 4.0 is also accompanied by better documentation and more transparency for all processes along the entire value chain - this is an extremely important factor for future-oriented agriculture.
Agriculture continues to shape public space as the largest user of land. She impressively demonstrates how well digital change can be implemented if there is a willingness to do so.
flexibility? Optimization? new installation? Service?
We would be happy to advise you without obligation – on this and all other matters!
No comments:
Post a Comment