Germany deploys AI to boost agriculture

Admin I Tuesday, June 04, 2024

 

BERLIN – Digital applications with artificial intelligence (AI) for fields and stables are becoming increasingly popular in Germany’s agricultural sector, industry figures suggest.

Almost half of farms (47%) are currently looking into possible AI applications, according to a survey of 500 farms by the digital association Bitkom and the German Agricultural Society (DLG) published on Monday.

The survey found that just under one in 10 farms (9%) already use AI.

The greatest potential for the transformative technology in the agricultural sector includes climate and weather forecasts, but also harvest and production planning and yield forecasts. Solutions for daily administrative work are also of interest.

Agriculture is one of the pioneers of AI, said Bitkom executive Bernhard Rohleder. DLG Vice President Till Meinel said that its use was increasingly a necessity due to the workload of farm managers.

According to the survey, agricultural machinery with GPS satellite control and complex systems for planning breeding patterns are already widely used. Applications for the more precise use of fertilizers and pesticides are also in use.

The survey, conducted in February and March, questioned 500 farms of at least 20 hectares in western Germany and 100 hectares in eastern Germany.