Lantmännen is an agricultural cooperative and Northern Europe’s leader in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products.
Precision agriculture is about employing new technology to adapt seed, fertiliser and crop protection to the field the crop is to be grown in, in order to get the most uniform outcome possible. As no field is ever the same in all parts, different areas are adapted for different crops and cultivation methods to achieve the best results.
Did you know?
Lantmännen has its own centre of excellent for precision cultivation in Skurup, the only one of its kind in Sweden.
As there can be big variations in any one individual field, farmers previously had to work this out for themselves, which becomes far more difficult as arable areas and farms get larger and larger. But with new technology and the digitalisation of agriculture, work in the fields can be optimised.
Within precision agriculture, multispectral cameras on drones and sensors on tractors can, for example, determine where a crop needs nutrition and possible protection. The images produced can measure down to the square centimetre and optimise actions accordingly. This makes a big difference, not least in terms of minimising the risk of nutrient leakage that can have a negative impact on neighbouring land and water. The technology N-sensor, which is installed on the tractor roof and measures the optimal fertilizer rate, is already today used in Lantmännen's cultivation program Climate & Nature.
Tractors can be oriented with 2.5 cm precision via satellite technology, which means a field can be ploughed and sown with no overlaps whatsoever. Precision ploughing with a tractor can reduce fuel consumption by up to 10% per hectare of arable land, and so lower fossil fuel emissions.
Advantages of precision agriculture:
- A more uniform harvest and accordingly higher yield
- Provides precise fertiliser recommendations and crop nutrition balances that benefit the environment
- Saves time and reduces resource consumption
