The extent of digitalization on farms world wide varies extensively. Whereas some farms already depend on applied sciences equivalent to synthetic intelligence, the usage of drones or robotics, others are nonetheless insufficiently digitalized. These are the findings of the “Agriculture in transition” examine, which Continental performed along with the market analysis institute Innofact AG in fall 2023.
In all 503 farmers from 5 international locations have been requested about their each day work, their issues and challenges. Digital options assist farmers within the mandatory transformation in direction of sustainable and environment friendly agriculture. Precision farming is an efficient instance. It makes use of GPS, sensors and knowledge evaluation to extra exactly handle assets equivalent to fertilizer, water and pesticides. This optimizes discipline administration, protects the soil, and will increase farm effectivity, worth, and sustainability.
“We’re at present experiencing a profound change in agriculture, pushed primarily by connectivity, robotics and synthetic intelligence. On the finish of this transformation, agriculture is not going to solely be extra environment friendly, but additionally extra environmentally pleasant. We see the potential to rework your entire worth chain. The outcomes of our ‘Agriculture in transition’ examine present that farmers additionally see this potential. Our aim is to work intently with farmers to strategically harness technological advances to make agriculture extra resilient to local weather change,” says Ismail Dagli, Head of the Autonomous Mobility and Industrial Automobiles enterprise unit at Continental.Completely different phases of digital transformation: The vast majority of respondents are at present utilizing digital options. 79% already use such applied sciences as we speak, and greater than two-thirds of farmers say that digitalization performs a quite related position of their each day work (71%). However, there are main variations between areas and firm sizes.
In Germany, France and the U.S., about 13% of farmers don’t use digital applied sciences, whereas in Brazil it’s only one in twenty (5%). In Japan, nonetheless, round 60% of respondents state that they perform their agricultural work with out digital purposes.
This additionally has an impression on the extent of satisfaction with the digitalization of 1’s personal farm. In a global comparability, Japanese farmers are the least glad with their degree of digitalization. Round 77% of them state that they don’t use sufficient applied sciences (worldwide common: 37%). German farmers, however, seem like essentially the most glad with the extent to which digital applied sciences are used on their farms. About two-thirds (67%) say they use simply the correct amount (worldwide common: 54%). These outcomes make it clear: no matter whether or not respondents are at present glad with their use of know-how or not, the street to the digital farm continues to be a protracted one.
That is additionally confirmed by the scale of the farm. Normally, the smaller the farm, the much less digitized it’s. On farms with lower than 50 hectares of land, about 20% say they don’t use any digital applied sciences. The determine is 12% for farms between 100 and 200 hectares, and ten% for farms over 200 hectares.
Amongst these utilizing digital applied sciences, a take a look at the extent of digitalization additionally reveals huge variations: Whereas many farmers have already carried out options equivalent to apps and GPS-controlled agricultural equipment (apps: 45%, GPS-controlled agricultural equipment: 41%) and nearly one in three farmers (30%) use satellite tv for pc photographs, the usage of robotics (13%) and synthetic intelligence (10%) is much less widespread. Nevertheless, the usage of drones is already rising in popularity: A couple of in 4 farmers (27%) use drones, primarily to research land from the air.
AI purposes anticipated to triple: There isn’t any query that the usage of digital purposes will enhance. Nevertheless, the digital hole is prone to widen. About one in 4 farmers (24%) nonetheless haven’t any concrete concept what applied sciences shall be used on their farm sooner or later. “Farmers world wide are going through rising challenges: rising demand for meals, rising rules, and visual results of local weather change. Along with politicians, who can set the framework, it is usually as much as know-how suppliers to satisfy these calls for with sturdy and environmentally pleasant applied sciences,” explains Mario Branco, Head of Off-Freeway at Continental.
However, applied sciences that aren’t extensively used as we speak will change into extra necessary: One-fifth (20%) of farmers who aren’t utilizing robotics as we speak anticipate to take action inside the subsequent 5 to 10 years. By then, one-third of farmers can be utilizing robotic options. This represents a rise of 138% – greater than a doubling. Thepercentage is especially excessive in Germany (28%), the U.S. (27%) and Brazil (24%). Expectations are lowest in Japan, at 9%.
An analogous development is seen in synthetic intelligence, the place farmers predict even higher progress. Respondents anticipate this quantity to triple within the subsequent 5 to 10 years. Whereas a mean of 10% of respondents is utilizing AI as we speak, a further 19% anticipate to start utilizing AI throughout this time interval. Solely Germany and Brazil have higherpercentages at 26% (Germany) and 25% (Brazil). The U.S. quite the opposite has the bottom expectations, at round 13%.
“Within the coming years, many farmers will considerably enhance their use of synthetic intelligence and robotics to make their operations extra environment friendly and environmentally pleasant, together with the usage of pesticides and herbicides. This can basically change the best way farming is completed, from exact soil evaluation to automated harvesting to clever yield prediction. We’re already making an necessary contribution with our greenhouse robotic answer and our new herbicide-free Weed Management System. On the similar time, we at Continental are supporting our prospects in each step of the implementation to make sure that they’ll totally profit from the potential of those applied sciences,” says Mario Branco, Head of Off-Freeway at Continental.
Position of know-how firms: The examine proves: Farmers want sturdy companions for change. When requested what (further) companies from know-how firms would assist them, 43% p of respondents stated extra user-friendly applied sciences. 37% are fascinated about coaching programs on the usability of applied sciences offered, whereas 31% want to see knowledge introduced in an comprehensible method.
