Lower Costs, Higher Productivity, More Environmental Protection – German Agriculture Relies on AI

From smart and precision farming to intelligent GPS solutions and AI – farmers in Germany are highly receptive to digitalisation. This is once again confirmed by a Bitkom survey conducted in collaboration with DLG on the subject of AI in agriculture.

11 billion. According to forecasts, the world’s population will rise to this staggering figure by the end of the century. Agriculture faces an enormous challenge: feeding all these people while doing so as sustainably and climate-friendly as possible. After all, global agriculture is already responsible for a large share of climate-damaging emissions, land consumption, environmental pollution and water contamination.

The answer lies in digitalisation. Approaches such as smart or precision farming have long since moved beyond the pilot phase and are now widely used, as reported by Digital Chiefs. Many farmers are also considering AI and many plan to use the technology for their operations. This is shown by a new survey by industry association Bitkom.

Large farms lead the way

According to the survey, larger farms are particularly open to AI. From 99 hectares upwards, more than half (52 percent) are already planning or discussing the use of AI. On farms between 50 and 99 hectares, nearly two-fifths (38 percent) are doing the same. Smaller holdings of 20–49 hectares are only considering the technology in around a quarter of cases (27 percent). The representative survey, conducted by Bitkom together with the German Agricultural Society (DLG), included 500 farms.

AI is already being used today, particularly for precise climate and weather forecasts. Farmers are also leveraging AI for market analysis, price predictions, harvest and production planning, as well as yield forecasting. Around 40 percent also expect to see relief in office work. Almost 80 percent see major opportunities for their operations in digitalisation and AI – especially in terms of time savings (69 percent), increased efficiency (61 percent) and reduced physical strain (57 percent).

AI for fewer pesticides and higher yields

In addition, 91 percent of respondents expect AI and digital technologies to enable more precise use of plant-protection products and fertilisers. This would cut costs while also protecting the environment. However, many cite data-protection concerns and high investment costs as challenges. The ongoing delays in expanding 5G coverage – particularly in rural areas – are also hampering the adoption of digital solutions and AI.

That’s why a 5G campus network – similar to those Axians offers for industrial contexts – is being used in a pilot project in Franconia. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) are using drones and image capture to generate AI-supported forecasts of fruit-tree harvest yields. The data collected on the plantation is fed directly into the system via the 5G campus network, enabling real-time AI training.

Reliable connectivity is the key to unlocking AI applications

Germany’s agricultural sector is often ahead of other industries when it comes to digitalisation and AI. To make food production more efficient, cut costs and protect the environment, an increasing number of farms are turning to artificial intelligence. They are calling for greater political support-both in creating investment-friendly regulatory conditions and in expanding nationwide 5G coverage.

Axians is accelerating the roll-out of 5G connectivity across Germany. Industrial 5G campus networks are being deployed, and even fans attending UEFA EURO 2024 matches are benefiting from Axians’ reliable mobile solutions.

Source for header image: Adobe Stock / hakule

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