Digitization of Bavarian farms - Agriculture 4.0

The future of agriculture is digital and the range of digital options in agriculture is becoming ever wider. Almost a third of Germany's farms are in Bavaria and especially the Bavarian farmer:in are considered pioneers of digital transformation. These are good conditions for a vibrant agricultural technology sector!

In the following interview, Philipp Horsch - Managing Director of Horsch Maschinenbau GmbH - and Heribert Reiter - Vice President and Managing Director of Research and Development, Purchasing and Customer Service at AGCO/Fendt - outline the many exciting digital possibilities in agriculture.

Mr. Horsch, how can we imagine digital agriculture?

Philipp Horsch: Our industry already started automating equipment and incorporating electronic controls into devices about 30 years ago. In the 90s, this technological progress was also applied to tractors. By the way - the topic of data interfaces, which also transcend manufacturer boundaries, originated in Bavaria. And it was from these Bavarian efforts in the early 1990s that ISOBUS ultimately emerged - a worldwide interface for agricultural technology. About 20 years ago, the GPS guidance system was also added - in other words, automatic steering systems for tractors, combine harvesters, self-propelled machines, etc. Today, this is the standard in agricultural technology and more and more automation processes are establishing themselves in agriculture.

Can you give examples of such automations?

Philipp Horsch: Gladly. We use today in practical agriculture Ackerschlagkarteisysteme. We are site-specific on the road - that is, we will even the heterogeneous situations in agriculture. And along with this, documentation efforts have naturally taken hold for many years. The aim here is to document agricultural production seamlessly and comprehensibly, both in the field and in the barn. Of course, this development has to be seen against the background that we definitely have very difficult framework conditions in agriculture.

What challenges do Bavarian farmers have to overcome?

Philipp Horsch: We are basically in the countryside, i.e. in the countryside. Accordingly, Landwirt:innen often have to "fight" with adverse environmental conditions and face major challenges in dealing with digital issues. That's because they don't have IT departments in the background to solve the technical problems. They have to fix the bugs themselves. We are really at the highest level in this industry today.

And what trends are shaping agriculture?

Philipp Horsch: I would say the megatrends in our society: environmental protection, climate protection, animal welfare and, of course, digitization. That's about efficiency increases in crop protection and fertilization through a variety of digital solutions. We see a lot of sensor technology and diagnostics in the equipment. We have also already reached the point where we are using online, real-time control systems. We are also using section-specific systems (section control) to use and regulate individual sections of the machines independently of each other, as well as the use of biological crop protection agents. These also need more and more digitalization in technology, because they have to be applied more precisely. The future trend or goal is, of course, progressive autonomization in agriculture - analogous to other industries. And I believe that this development will help us overall to make agriculture more attractive again for future generations of farmers and people looking for work in the agricultural environment. I am also convinced that this development will help to increase society's acceptance of agriculture. And I hope that it will succeed in bringing the income situation in agriculture back more into balance, so that we can start the future with a certain degree of security.

Trends often trigger blind actionism without any prior consideration of a target-oriented strategy. How digital do our farmer:s really need to be? And what can still be done without?

Philipp Horsch: Farmers are already strongly digitized today. From my point of view, this has so far been predominantly about the issue of making work easier - i.e. facilitating steering systems for equipment, field cards for better management in the field, etc. I think that in the future, the focus will be more on products and the needs of consumers. So, digital solutions that create added value for the consumer - for example, complete documentation, such as proof of certain production processes or residue-free production. This is how farmers remain competitive.

I do see blind actionism when manufacturing companies suggest to farmers "Let the computer decide for you and you will have more yields." In my opinion, such promises are a fallacy, because farmers work in nature, i.e. in a heterogeneous environment. And here you will always need people with a good feeling for their work. Only through the combination of expertise, a certain skill and technical work facilitation can one achieve the optimum. I advise against a kind of "recipe agriculture" based exclusively on artificial intelligence (AI).

Mr. Reiter, how well are the "recommended" trends already being implemented by farmers:inside Bavaria?

Heribert Reiter: Mr. Horsch has already drawn a very comprehensive picture of how digital solutions are being used by farmers:inside Germany, who are very open to such applications. However, it is not only the automation of machines that plays an important role. The topics of data processing, yield mapping and recording, for example for accounting, are also important in the entire agricultural value chain. Young affine users in particular are very open and already use such applications via smartphone or iPad. Nevertheless, there are still many isolated applications and the compatibility of data and systems is still a problem. There are - especially in Bavaria - many test farms that give us valuable tips and wishes for handling the digital applications.

But also in the areas upstream and downstream of agriculture, the business partners of the farmer:inside, especially data integrity and data interfaces are a big issue. A smooth and barrier-free transfer of data is necessary in order to create evaluations of fertilizer or pesticide consumption, for example. As everywhere, there are first-movers here who are trying out a lot of things, but most farmers:inside like to have simple, ready-made solutions, quasi plug and play.

Mr. Reiter, you work for AGCO/Fendt, a traditional Bavarian company that is now merging with an American corporation. What innovations are you currently developing?

Heribert Reiter: As I just mentioned, data processing and security in particular play a role for farmers:inside but also the ecological aspects around sustainability, environment and climate are coming to the fore . We are talking about machine data on the one hand and "office data" on the other. And we would like to support through digital solutions that these two areas "automatically" grow together in the future, so that ultimately the agricultural process is holistically digitized.

And how does that look at the company Horsch Maschinenbau? What is the next stroke of genius in your house?

Philipp Horsch: The company Horsch Maschinenbau is currently focusing on the two topics of connectivity and autonomization. We are in the process of offering connectivity for all devices so that they can be connected to the cloud. This opens up a whole bouquet of possibilities for farmers, and it is up to them how they use the opportunities in the areas of service, support, documentation, telemetry, and much more.

For me, however, the biggest area of the future is autonomization, so that one day the machines will be on the move in the field without a man or a woman. We will probably develop many different solutions because we are a heterogeneous industry with individual customer needs. In concrete terms, however, we are working on precise, efficient and resource-saving concepts in the areas of soil cultivation, sowing and maintenance. The aim of our innovations is always to reduce production costs and increase productivity, so that the farmer:s can devote themselves fully to consumer wishes such as environmental awareness and product qualities.

Mr. Horsch, you have been the spokesman for our competence network Digital Agriculture Bavaria (KNeDL) since this year - in conclusion, can you summarize the three biggest challenges for the digital transformation of agriculture?

Philipp Horsch: The topic of radio network coverage and stable Internet connection in rural areas immediately comes to mind. In this area, we really have a lot of catching up to do. Here in Bavaria, too. Another challenge will be the user-friendliness and security of digital applications, which we as manufacturers will have to focus on. Last but not least, we must not lose sight of economic efficiency. In the end, it must also pay off for the farmers. Here, the wheat will certainly be separated from the chaff and nonsensical digital applications will not survive on the market.

Mr. Reiter, would you like to add something?

Heribert Reiter: I can only confirm that with the radio network coverage, we have a lot of catching up to do. We do not necessarily need 5G, but 4G in the area would be enough for us already in many things.

Agriculture is the basis for feeding people and that will not change so quickly. In addition to economic efficiency, which we have greatly optimized in recent decades, ecological aspects are increasingly coming to the fore. Sustainability and social acceptance will play a major role, in my opinion. We see that society no longer unconditionally accepts how farming is done. Digitization is incredibly helpful in overcoming these challenges.

But in everything you do, I think you always have to focus on the fact that it brings a benefit to customers and also to society, and that you're not just doing something because it's feasible. And finally, I always say technology should serve people and not the other way around.

The interview was conducted by Christian Metz, Head of the Competence Network Digital Agriculture Bavaria at Bayern Innovativ GmbH.