Can satellite data beat common sense of farmers? The agricultural sector, a high tech market, many opportunities for the space sector Agriculture and Earth Observation ; 4 juli2017 Geert Hermans
Geert Hermans ZLTO Business developer smart Farming, Geo-ICT Projectmanager Coordinator TOG (industrial vegetable processors & farmers) Innovation manager TKI Agro & Food Coordinator PPS precision farming 2.0, Coordinator PPS DISAC Owner Winery & Herbs History Initiator Precision farming programma agro sector ZLTO Innovation manager Platform Sustainable food chains (ZLTO). Business developer WUR Manager business (financial world) Interim projectmanager (from breeder to florist) Teammanager DLV (advisory business agriculture) Advisor
Our Mission: Ensure continuity of the agricultural livelihood with technonolgy Our vision Enhancing: efficiency (more output, less input) transparency (information sharing) taking responsibility (towards environment and society)
Univer sities Environ ment Cooperate Communicate Innovate Invest Initiate Connect Farmers Govern ment Consu mers Research Centres
ZLTO: over 12 years in smart-farming
Smart-farming: experience, results and challenges
Decrease emissions Added value Emissions: N, P, NH3 Source: PBL
Advantages of Precision Agriculture Inputs: water, fertilizer, seed, crop protection and diesel Source: Wageningen UR
Extra advantages of integrated agriculture
Dashboards: Opti-Data 2016
Dashboard opticow
High Tech Irrigation: Irrigation Signal grassland, maize cultivation, potatoes, sugar beets, Peas, carrots, spinach, beans, salsify
Sustainable production: start at the soil Data collection Soil sensors
Processed satellite images
Needs in arable crops, grass and corn cultivation 10 years ago we started with the development of satellite data in the agro sector. Bottlenecks at the time: Translation lacked concrete advice. (research) - Which insight give the images? - What can the farmer do with it? - What actions are needed? Inaccuracy: Geo mapping, clouds Expensive product development: satellite imagery Business model? GPS techniques were not standard on all machines
Needs in arable crops, grass and corn cultivation Now: Most tractors / machines have GPS control (MoveRTK) Free images from the satellite data bank More interest and knowledge from farmers present Bottlenecks at this moment (after 10 years) - Translation to concrete advice is still missing in many cases; - What insight are the images? - What can the farmer do with it? - What actions are needed? - Inaccuracy is less - Clouds are still there - Business model? - Satellite companies spend time on research projects and do not invest (visible) in the real end user. The farmer. Who is the end user?
Can satellite data beat common sense of farmers? Does the farmer stay independent? Again the challenge!
Needs in arable crops, grass and corn cultivation What are our needs: - Detailed biomass maps (10 x 10 m); weekly - Preferably in KG biomass translated to kg dry matter and Kg yield crop - N and P content - Closing date crop - Soil moisture (6 x 6 meter) - Detailed organic matter content cards (10 x 10) - Images of water spots in space and time - The amount of living organisms in the soil Not only images: everything translated directly to information. View information on task cards. Not just information, but translated directly to advice. Task cards to be edited and directly compatible with machines to be driven. Integration of different systems is required (data exchange between systems)
MEASURING EVALUATE INTERPRETATION Apply
INNOVATION = DOING Together Farmers offer their expertise. Engage them with the development. Thanks for your attention Geert Hermans E: geert.hermans@zlto.nl T: 06-29520249