At Agritechnica 2017, the organizer DLG (German Agricultural Society) will co-operate with the company Information System Integrated Plant Production to present a new special feature dedicated to crop protection. "Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" will create a unique information platform that will give manufacturers, institutions and other industry specialists the opportunity to present their latest technologies and systems, and for visitors to compare what is available in one place.
The Agritechnica special feature will focus on the latest developments in crop protection, including forecasting models, sprayer nozzle technology and GPS boom section control, as well as robotic technology, decision-making apps and traditional mechanical weeding machines – all aimed at helping to produce sufficient healthy food and agricultural raw materials.
"Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" fits perfectly within the overall theme of Agritechnica 2017, "Green Future – Smart Technology", as the special feature shares the objective of showcasing the latest technologies and trends designed to secure a sustainable increase in productivity in agriculture. The requirements for sustainable agriculture are to reconcile productivity with resources and environmental protection. To this end, farmers need to make the most of available know-how and technologies to implement these goals efficiently with their crops.
“Crop protection, whether mechanical, chemical or biological, is playing an increasingly important role,” says Dr. Klaus Erdle, Division Manager Plant Production and Field Operations at DLG, who is project manager of the new Agritechnica feature. “Its precise implementation, efficacy and safety are prerequisites for sustainable operating success, and this means it regularly forms the basis for discussions within and outside the agricultural sector.”
Innovation in crop protection
A total of 14 companies and organizations will take part in the "Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" special, and the solutions they will exhibit cover the whole spectrum from mechanical weeders, through robot-assisted systems and smartphone apps to the latest GPS-controlled sprayers that can selectively apply multiple crop protection products.
SCHMOTZER, will feature its Combination weeding hoe as part of the Agritechnica special. A must for organic farmers, who are unable to use crop protection products, the company says the hoe is also a useful and economic option for conventional farmers. The machine, which is modular and can easily be altered for different working widths, is said to be able to reduce the use of chemicals in under-leaf banding by up to 39 percent when used in conventional systems. It features a new camera to detect leaf shapes and distinguish between weeds and crops, and it allows high work rates thanks to toothed discs that protect young plants.
APV says it has developed a new machine for organic farming. The VS Vario tine harrow is based on a unique system of spring tines that mean the machine offers accurate contour following and maximum crop protection. The harrow offers weed control at high work rates and without chemicals, which APV says saves on cost, improves the soil and helps mobilize soil nutrients.
JOHN DEERE has also entered the mechanical weeding market with its Tractor Integrated Active Implement Guidance with Infield Automation, which is said to offer high-performance mechanical weed control. Deere uses its AutoTrac Implement Guidance system with Tractor-Speed Automation to enable precise guidance of cultivation tools in row crops through actuated tractor lower links and without the use of a side-shift mechanism on the implement. In combination with the company's new AutoTrac Vision tractor guidance solution, and with iTEC Pro Headland Management, it says high-precision mechanical weeding in row crops can now be completely automated. Deere states that this high-speed weeding application is the first real economic and ecological alternative to herbicide application.
Taking mechanical weeding one step further is SPL's exhibit in the Agritechnica special. Its tracked electric vehicle (or robot) has been modified to work autonomously in the field. The system relies on a camera that detects crop rows, ridges, or any other lines for guidance, and it is also GPS compatible and can complete headland turns on its own. As the vehicle can also change its own battery, 24/7 uptime is possible. SPL says the robot features its in-house crop detection system that relies on a camera (using machine learning algorithms) to differentiate between weeds and crops. This system sends the position data of the weeds to a LASER control system that moves the LASER to the exact position to remove them.
Internet brings new possibilities
Computer and smartphone apps also have a place in crop protection, and the "Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" special will feature several of these including ISIP.DE, a web-based and interactive platform that is operated by the various State Chambers of Agriculture and Agricultural Research Centres in Germany. ISIP provides independent recommendations on cropping and pest control, and offers weather and field data based forecast models on pest risks. These are complemented with extensive surveys that are carried out on representative control fields, as well as recommendations from local consultants on suitable crop management strategies.
BASF, meanwhile, will showcase its Maglis® Leaf-Analysis app that makes it possible for farmers to identify leaf diseases in their early stages while out in the field. The farmer takes a picture of the leaf that is suspected of being infected with his smartphone, and the app then analyzes the symptoms. BASF says the app is capable of definitively matching the symptoms to a specific pathogen in a few seconds, while at the same time recommending one of its products to treat it.
BAYER will be promoting its Digital Farming Solutions in the special feature. The company says it offers farmers the opportunity to further optimize crop protection measures by offering decision support for the optimal timing of applications as well as field-zone specific dosing. The company says its aim is to make crop protection more precise, easier and more efficient, which it adds is an important component of sustainable farming.
Linking real-time farm conditions to your decision making is the aim of EXA, which says its W1 weather station allows operators to monitor and document the current weather automatically and on the move, allowing them to show best practice of only spraying when the conditions are right. EXA says the information from the weather station is now integrated into its EXATREK machine data analysis app, which logs the application rate, ground speed, weather conditions, man hours and fuel consumption.
The FRAUNHOFER Institute for Electronic Nano Systems (ENAS) will present novel technologies for the fabrication of micro wireless sensors for smart farming at the Agritechnica special feature. The organization says target applications include the monitoring of growth conditions of crop and vegetables, as they allow the micro climate and the irrigation conditions to be observed precisely and in real time with higher spatial resolution. FRAUNHOFER ENAS says its focus in designing the dedicated sensor components, communication modules and power supply components include building in biodegradability and compostability.
Sprayer control systems
Using existing crop protection equipment in smarter ways is another target for the future to improve the sustainability of agriculture, and PLA will show its advanced MAP3 CUADRUPLA crop sprayer at the Agritechnica 2017 special feature. The company says its sprayer can be configured to apply up to four different crop protection active ingredients simultaneously and/or independently, in up to 23 possible combinations all controlled from the sprayer cabin. PLA says the main advantages of this are that it allows up to four applications in one single pass, which lowers compaction of the soil and saves fuel. Product saving is also possible thanks to a weed detection and control system on one of the two spraying lines that applies chemicals only to the weeds, while further savings are possible through localized applications of the active ingredients in two of the other active ingredients using application maps.
KUHN, meanwhile, will exhibit its MULTISPRAY system, with a model of it in action to show how it works. KUHN says the electronic and individual spray nozzle control system, which was developed in-house, is available in various levels of specification that range from individual nozzle control to the highly advanced MULTISPRAY Quattro nozzle control. The latter allows the system or the operator to control or even combine all four nozzles on the connector from the cab. The manufacturer says the system is also ready to use with spray maps.
An important part of crop sprayer use is the cleaning-up process when the work has been done, and AGROTOP will be showing its KIR-o-Matic sensor-controlled auto-switching system for continuous interior sprayer rinsing at the Agritechnica special. The company says the system optimizes interior sprayer rinsing, controlling the rinsing jets automatically and with precision. Importantly, KIR-o-Matic shortens the rinsing cycles and makes optimum use of the diluted spray solution, in addition to reducing operator effort and increasing safety and productivity.
Information and research
The IVA (Industrieverband Agrar e.V.), the German association that lobbies for the interests of the agrochemical industry in Germany, will also participate in the "Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" special feature at Agritechnica 2017. The association's 50 member companies are in the crop protection, crop nutrition, pest control and bio stimulants businesses, and the IVA says it offers farmers relevant information and a range of activities, including campaigns on responsible agrochemical use, symposiums on watercourse protection practices and the PAMIRA scheme for returning and recycling agrochemical packaging.
BOSCH, meanwhile, will be promoting the EU-funded Flourish project that aims to bridge the gap between the current and desired capabilities of agricultural robots for precision farming. The concept of the project is that by combining the aerial survey capabilities of a small autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (or drone) with a multi-purpose agricultural Unmanned Ground Vehicle (or robot), a system can be designed that surveys a field from the air and provides detailed information for decision support and to perform targeted intervention on the ground, all with minimal user intervention.
The "Future Crop Protection – responsibility needs ideas" special feature can be found in Hall 15 at Agritechnica 2017, which takes place at Hanover's exhibition grounds from the 12 to 18 November (with special preview days on 12 and 13 November).
More information for international visitors considering a visit to Agritechnica 2017 can be found at www.agritechnica.com
