On May 31, 2022 representatives of the 3 sectors were invited to share experiences within AGROS. Some 20 participants listened to the visions that are the basis for the activities per sector. Renske Landeweert (IMEC-One Planet) kicked off with their vision on the developments in data use. IMEC-One Planet works at the forefront of chip development and sees great opportunities for sensor development in agriculture. It is working on the development of an N-sensor for nitrate measurement in soil or substrate. See also presentation OnePlanet.
Greenhouse
The horticultural industry is working on a clear vision based on the autonomous control of the greenhouse. Artificial Intelligence will be a very important factor in autonomous cultivation. Instead of focusing on the greenhouse climate, the focus is now on the plant itself. By collecting a lot of data on elementary plant characteristics, supplemented with data on water intake, sap flow, etc., models for crop growth can be improved. Image processing plays an important role in this. Initially, various subsystems will be developed, which together should produce a total control system for the crop and the greenhouse. See also presentation Greenhouse horticulture (only available in Dutch).
Dairy
Something similar was outlined for Dairy Farming, aiming to improve individual managing each cow in a herd so that she can perform optimally within a long list of objectives. The challenges are big: less greenhouse gases, less ammonia emissions, optimal use of resources, increasing biodiversity, etc.. To be able to optimize the management of each individual cow, knowing the feed intake is essential, also in a regular barn environment. Another part of the research is focusing on what you can read from the breath of a cow. The expectation is that this will provide a lot of information to better manage the cow’s production efficiency and health. See also the presentation on animal husbandry (only available in Dutch).
Arable
For the arable sector a scenario study forms the basis for the medium term vision on the major issues of the sector. The 3 scenarios, entitled Data for your convenience, Ecology at the wheel and Crisis forces action, form the basis for elaborating the desired future infrastructure for energy and data. In addition, work is being done on some 5 applications in the field of disease, weed recognition, recognition of safe habitats for meadow birds. And finally, a sustainability analysis of crop protection products is taking place and links are being developed for wider use of advisory modules. See also presentation Arable (only available in Dutch).
The attendees then discussed the new insights they had distilled from the stories and which are (or could be) useful in their own sectors. It resulted in sparkling discussions.