The implementation of mixed farming concepts at farm level require a next level infrastructure for the managements of the operations and will include information technology and power supply.
In these concepts monitoring activities will be done by sensing equipment, producing big quantities of data. Most data will be geo referenced. These data will be stored, processed into relevant information by decision support systems and transformed into actuation (connecting robot arms, spraying units etc.).
More and more data layers will have to be combined for optimal decision making and output in terms of high quality task maps. The data infrastructure must support this type of data processing and can be done by local applications as well as decentralized.
External data suppliers and chain actors will produce and ask for data. Data exchange must be supported in a flexible way using communication standards of the sector.
Autonomous vehicles will play an important role in a mixed farming systems. The size of these vehicles can vary strongly, from small electric powered robots to the big units, powered by (bio)diesel, Hydrogen, or batteries. Based on the inventory of activities different scenarios for future implementation can be analysed. For each scenario a power supply regime can be developed. A smart grid approach can be included.