Agriculture 4.0 - How farmers can cultivate agricultural areas using plant centered measures?
The Institute for Process Technology, Process Automation and Measurement Technology (IPM) of the Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz – University of Applied Sciences pursues the goal of reducing the ecological footprint of agriculture. It contributes concrete methods/procedures as well as technological developments, for example, to reduce the use of pesticides and soil compaction on agricultural areas in the district of Görlitz. As a result, a combination of selected innovative technologies supports the withdrawal from the often applied watering can principle. Now the plant-centered cultivation measures being applied are contributing to the recovery of biodiversity around agricultural area.
High-performance open source technologies – i.e. open hardware and software structures – enable the barrier-free development of even complex mechatronic system solutions. In this way, the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz demonstrates within the future field of Agriculture 4.0 at the same time that open source offers great potential for the district of Görlitz to revive urgently needed value chains. In this way, sustainability goals and the pursuit of economic strength complement each other perfectly. It is an opportunity for companies to respond to structural changes.
Additionally agricultural companies gain significant competitive advantages with the end-to-end digitization of their processes up to the field crop. For example, the continuous traceability of production and supply chains is an increasingly relevant decision criterion for consumers when purchasing agricultural products. The yield optimization with simultaneous reduction of fertilizer and pesticide use as well as the objective proof of effectiveness of the measures are further advantages.
Which answers do the IPM engineers and technicians provide?
Currently, the focus is on two technological developments that will support agricultural companies in their work. The farmbot approach, a gantry crane on rails, is used to automate cultivation measures, particularly within large greenhouses. The system sows, waters and measures soil values autonomously 24 hours a day. In the process, each plant is cultivated in a way that is appropriate to its vitality. With DiaBoLO - Field Crop Diagnostics with Soil Monitoring for Agriculture and Ecology – AI methods are applied to determine plant vitality and biodiversity. Does the crop appear vital? Or does it show signs of deficiency? Are insects detected? DiaBoLO is the artificial eye and brain. It hosts the agricultural experience and knows what the plant is missing.
Both technologies in combination provide the support the farmer needs to make decisions aligned to ecology and profitability.
Can I participate as a company, research institution or privately?
The project work of the IPM is an fundamental part of the application-oriented research and development of the Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz – University of Applied Sciences. Cooperations with companies, research institutions and further stake holders are a strong foundation. You as company, student, representative of politics and interested citizen are explicitly called upon to shape these processes together with us. We look forward to go in touch with you and talk about topics of the agricultural future.