What does a digital farm look like in the coming years and decades? Probably more and more like a fully automated farm where the robot replaces the farmer's staff, where the farmer from behind his laptop runs the wireless yard, stable and field, and where smart robots work the farmland. Drones, robots, and agriculture: future farming
Future Farming
We received a taste of tomorrow's farm at the Salon International de l'Agriculture (SIA, Paris), the annual international agricultural fair held recently in France. This time at the fair, animals and local products and 'Agri 4.0', the state of 'La Ferme Digitale,' a club of about twenty start-ups in the Agri sector.
Agri 4.0 gives an idea of how our farm will probably look like in the future. The first to be noticed is that the innovations are mainly focused on the cereal growers and wine growers.
An autonomous Robot That Will Replace The Tractor
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
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This is PUMAgri, the robot developed by SITIA and Irstea, the French national research institute for agriculture and the environment, that will replace the tractor. The PUMAgri has a hybrid engine and will be put into operation in good condition in 2019. Especially interesting for gardeners and wine growers.
The PUMAgri has a so-called three-point lifting device - just like ordinary tractors that also have - on which various agricultural implements can be mounted. This PUMAgri is equipped with a weed killer. The leaves in the middle draw the weeds, which grow between the rows of plants, roots, and all out of the ground. The circular knives next to it do the rest. The robot works much more accurately than a tractor and is controlled by sensors and 3D cameras.
Drones Map Agricultural Areas
Photo: Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
Airinov uses drones equipped with sensors (in the green box in the middle) flying at 150 meters above the ground to map it. Airinov sells this service to cooperatives or traders. A drone can map 400 hectares of land per day.
Drones Collect Valuable Data
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France. (Exmetrics).
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Exametrics also uses drones to collect data on the health of the vine plants. The vintner can thus see at a glance how ripe a particular parcel is, get a picture of the topography and the condition of the terrain, or determine whether and how much irrigation should be given, an idea of the amount of wood and foliage of the plantings.
According to Henri Borreil, co-founder of Airino, agricultural entrepreneurs can optimize the use of their raw materials (such as manure) thanks to the drones; they do not have to treat crops that do not need treatment and can accurately predict the yield per plot.
Borreil notes that agricultural entrepreneurs have to learn to look at their company differently if they really want to reap this technological innovation's benefits. Borreil sees a lot of restraint and an inability to adapt their working way, especially in larger corporations.
Drones Distribute Capsules With Small Insects That Kills The Buxus Moth
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
These micro insects are membrane wings that are used worldwide as biological weapons against pest insects such as leaf-eating caterpillars or, in this case, the Buxus moth.
Robot Maps The Vines
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
Much smaller than the PUMAgri, this prototype from the stable of Irsteace can work together with another robot on the other side of the vines. The robot is equipped to collect surplus products and residual waste and thus reduce pollution.
GPS Box Can Keep An Eye On All Their Rolling Stock
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
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The box manufactured by startup Karnott can attach itself to any machine or vehicle and provides valuable information such as: how often the device has been used, the distance it has traveled, and the terrain it has traveled - for example, by vibrating the engine. Register and analyze.
Such information is fascinating for farmers who share their equipment, especially when they are in a cooperative where equipment is shared and where use must be transparent for the settlement. The robot also forwards the collected data directly to a central database.
Artificial Ground Cover Sops Weeds And Collects Rainwater
Photo by Damien Choppin/Business Insider France.
The startups Inovinéa and l'Irstea developed this artificial mulch, a soil cover of organic material. According to Irstea, this ground cover has a lifespan of 30 years and prevents the soil from suffocating (often with perforated tarpaulins). In fact, the air circulates under the ground cover so that snails and earthworms can do their job and organically maintain the soil. The invention will be on the market in 2018.
Before you go!
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