Farming marches forward

Tomasz Szulc from the Industrial Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Poznań told the participants of this year’s Science – Business – Agriculture Conference about the latest trends in agricultural technologies available on the market.

More, faster and cheaper

The manufacturers of agricultural spreaders aim at optimizing their products in two respects. The first goal is increasing the working width of those appliances, so that the range of sowing is larger. Another target is combining the spreader function with the possibility of applying fertilizers simultaneously. The second solution leads to development of controlling devices, which require knowledge and experience from the operator of the machine. Azomais, a project co-organized by Grupa Azoty “PUŁAWY”, serves as a good example of the implementation of this solution.

Profitable farming

Farm tractors used today are equipped with the most modern mechatronical and electronical technologies, based on systems modelling and control systems. Radars are more and more frequently used in spreaders, in order to adjust the quantity of fertilizer applied, depending on its physical properties, as well as to apply a variable dose of the fertilizer.

Running smoothly

Precision farming is now a budding idea, but may soon become the norm, in particular in the larger, well-managed farms. The method involves comprehensive approach to plantations, starting from analysing soil samples and weather conditions, and finishing with mapping the fertility of fields using GPS technology. Thanks to advanced tools enabling the introduction of nutrients to cultivated plants, farmers may plan their activity better, thus increasing their competitive edge on the market, which is becoming increasingly global.