Question: Mr. Leithold, what does the age of digital plant cultivation represent?

Peer Leithold: Digitalisation enables us to hear more, to see more and thereby to recognize, to know and understand more in plant cultivation. We can make decisions faster and exacter than earlier in the analogue world. We can manage bigger units in considerably higher quality and at the same time make sure each square meter is cultivated to the optimum. In a nutshell, the digitalisation of plant cultivation is further development of single precision farming solutions to a management system which is, in terms of plant cultivation, entirely and completely integrated in the enterprise.

What does the increaasing digitalisation mean for the farmers? What chances and also what challenges does it entail?

There are enormous chances for enterprises. The variety of new digital information makes the whole production and plant cultivation process on the fields transparent. Coupled with reasonable evaluation routines and intelligent rules, a manager gets objective correct information at the touch of a button - effectively, getting an insight from a bird's eye perspective up to the last curve of his enterprise. It is a totally new world!

It is a totally new world!

The benefit for a farmer: he can plan and use machines, labour and operating resources more exact. So that there is work time saving, decrease of management costs, a more efficient use of machine and operational resources, cost improvement and yield growth.

And the challenges?

Digitalisation interferes into the existing operation and decision processes and changes them. This requires openness from the manager and readiness to take new ways in plant cultivation. Moreover, it is vital that employees of the enterprise are involved in the process.

You say: Digital informtion provide more transparency. Farmers are afraid however,  that the Big Data will make them completely exposed and insecure in the future. Do you share this concern?

In order to control the production process in a more intelligent way, it is not possible to avoid more transparenncy. In this sense, the enterprise is exposed, yes. But the crucial point is other than this: to whom belong the data? Who can see them? Who has access?

The general rule is that the client is the owner of the data, i.e. the farmer. Neither authorities, nor dealer or industrial enterprises can see the data without an explicit permission of the farmer. So the farmers should think thoroughly before making a decision which provider they will entrust with their data.

Plant cultivation consultants get
a great benefit from digital plant cultivation

If modern equipment and algorythms help make decisions, do we still need plant cultivation consultants?

DPlant cultivators get the most profit from the digitalisation of the plant cultivation. Now they are relieved from the routine work and can focus on particular specifics of their clients.

Both the quality and quickness of cunsultant's decision and the goal of enterprises which can get high quality consulting during the season improve considerably with digitalisation. Consultants will be able to take more responsibility for their advice in the future because they have more objective information available for their consultation. Even more direct (almost) decisions will be made from one recommendation, from one consultation.

In which classic agricultural machines segment do you see a bigger need for research in the future?

There is a need for research in almost all spheres. From the point of view of the digital plant cultivation, I wish most of all the two following things:

Firstly, further sensors which describe plant growth, the system of soil-plant-weather in real time and measure the nutritional requirements, deseases and pest infestation.

Secondly, a personal IP address for every machine and every equipment. So they are participants of the digital network of the enterprise and as such should be able to communicate with other participants.

Much more environment-friendly and efficiently

How will we run the agriculture in 50 years?

Much more environment-friendly and efficiently than today. The trends are already becoming apparent: the farming units are growing, with reducing personnel reources. Higher yields are achieved with considerably more efficient use of operating resources.

Just compare the process of car production in 1965 and 2015. 50 years ago there were countless numbers of people at the assembly belt. Today there are just few of them. The rest is taken over by intelligent systems. It will be exatly this way in the agriculture.

Source: agrarzeitung, 2015