The changing environment

The Internet of Things, where machinery and devices (often fitted with sensors) share data online, has enabled tractors and other agricultural machinery to become far more efficient and easier to operate. This, combined with mechanical innovations, is helping farmers produce more with less. Glenneis Kriel reports.

- Glenneis Kriel

Precision farming was born in the 1990s, with farmers initially making use of grid sampling to obtain a better idea of the fertilisation requirements of different areas of the same land. From there, the technology steadily became more advanced, with satellites and thereafter drones being used to identify variations and areas where soil samples should be taken.

While farmers initially had to adjust inputs manually according to soil analysis results, farming equipment soon evolved to produce differential feeding, allowing for the automatic adjustment of applications. Farming equipment and these technologies have since become even more advanced, providing more detail and information.

“Machines these days can tap into much more information, for example climatic conditions, soil moisture levels and crop-related data such as the difference in the volume of grain harvested at specific locations. This enables farmers to save costs by helping them make better-informed decisions,” says Patrick Roux, managing director of equipment at agricultural services company AFGRI.

Along with this, new sensor technologies and the use of machine learning means that farming equipment can analyse lands in finer detail than ever before.

“In 2017, for example, John Deere invested in Blue River Technology, which allows for the identification of particular weeds. This enbles them to be removed with more specific herbicides to overcome the problem of herbicide resistance,” says Roux.

AUTOMATION