Spraying where needed saves up to 90% on crop protection

Digital Farming - Demo Day Achieved Results and Future Prospects

🎬 Multilingual subtitles
✍️ By: Team BC1.NL

Results of the Digital Farming project so far

In this fourth episode of the Digital Farming series, we take a look at the progress that this project has made. How far have they come in their research on precision spraying, and is the project now completed?

Highlights from the Precision Spraying Demo Day at Vertify

At the concluding Demo Day at Vertify in Zwaagdijk, project leader Gerben van Lenthe emphasizes the importance of this research. Various participants provide insights into the current status. Pim Sturm

Pim Sturm, Kristel van Ammers and Peter Millenaar look back

Pim Sturm, previously featured in part 3, takes visitors back to the beginning and the challenges that had to be overcome in transferring this groundbreaking idea. Kristel van Ammers, from the Lectorate Robotics, shares the results achieved by Inholland students, as seen in part 2. Peter Millenaar of BB Leap, also known from part 3, demonstrates what is now possible with this advanced technology.
Bulb grower Stef Ruiter, featured in part 1, reflects on the past season.

Demonstration shows up to 90% less crop protection

The Demo Day concludes with a compelling Site specific spraying demonstration - Digital Farming demonstration, allowing all attendees to witness firsthand the possibilities that this innovative technology already offers. Water was sprayed onto red handkerchiefs that stood in for weeds, scattered at random through the grass by the visitors themselves. The prospect of cutting the use of crop protection products by up to 90% is impressive.

LTO Netherlands’ perspective on precision spraying

This research offers new opportunities for the agricultural sector throughout the Netherlands. Therefore, it is closely monitored by the Arable Farming and Field Vegetables Department of LTO Netherlands. Tineke de Vries, the chair of this department, shares their perspective and the challenges that lie ahead.

What does precision spraying cost and what does it deliver?

As part of this project, students from the Inholland Business, Finance & Law department are conducting economic research. They are investigating the profitability of precision spraying and its impact on product costs. However, this research is not yet completed at the concluding Demo Day.

What are the next steps for Digital Farming?

talking after the site specific spraying demonstration at Digital Farming The progress is clearly visible, and the development phase has been successfully completed. Upcoming season the actual use of this technology will begin. Nevertheless, there is still much work on the agenda, given the scale of these groundbreaking changes. Further research remains necessary.

More information about sustainability in agriculture

In the report Journey to sustainable cultivation of flower bulbs, alternatives for combating certain diseases are explored, as well as whether methods that work on a small scale can also be successful on a larger scale.

Also interesting:
Digital Farming – part 3 applying site specific techniques
Digital Farming – part 2 data processing
Digital Farming – part 1 the challenge

Frequently asked questions

This is a short summary of the film. Watch the video above for the full story.

How much crop protection product can you save by spraying only where needed?

By spraying only where it is needed, up to 90% can be saved on the use of crop protection products. This allows inputs to be used more sustainably and cultivation to be more efficient.

How was the spraying technique demonstrated during the demo day?

During the demonstration, water was sprayed onto red handkerchiefs that functioned as weeds. These had been placed at random spots in the grass by the attendees.

Why do farmers find it hard to get started with this?

Growers do see the possibilities, but taking the step is difficult. It is not a finished product but a learning process, the algorithms improve step by step. At the demonstration day it was shown for the first time that it works in practice.

So are chemicals no longer needed at all?

No, that is not the message. Alongside mechanical weed control and biological methods, spraying is still needed, and the gain lies in doing it as sparingly and precisely as possible. LTO describes it as one part of the toolbox needed for the shift towards more resilient growing systems.

What is the difference between mechanical and chemical weed control?

Mechanical control removes or damages the weed physically, with a hoe, a weeding robot or nowadays even a laser. Chemical control does it with a product. Mechanical work needs no chemicals but is sensitive to weather and soil conditions. Chemical control is more reliable but uses product. In practice the two are used side by side.

Where can I watch the full film?

These questions and answers are a short summary. Watch the full film "Digital Farming - Demo Day Achieved Results and Future Prospects" with all insights, examples and background at https://www.bc1.eu/digital-farming---demo-day-achieved-results-and-future-prospects/