Demonstration of robot with different variable rate machine technologies

On 8th of September 2021, our team showcased some of the greatest innovations in smart farming technologies to Flemish Minister of Agriculture and Food Hilde Crevits.

The aim of the event was a demonstration of multi-functional robot from Agrointelli, which our team had modified for variable rate site specific applications. This demonstration showed an inspiring future with the involvement of robots in the practice of agriculture in a sustainable manner. The team invented breakthrough integrated technologies for various agricultural practices from online sensing, to seeding, tilling, and fertilizing by developing our own software.

Benefit to the farmer:

1. In contrast to the conventional homogenous application of nitrogen fertilizer in the field, the site-specific application approach by the UGent team saves the farmer roughly 50 euros per hectare.
2. Similar approach using this technology for manure application, the farmers can save up to 35 euros per hectare.
3. Further the customized variable rate seeding technology improved the profitability up to 10 % in potato crop cultivation.
    

Environmental benefits:

Precision agriculture and robot technology offer a solution for working under the need-based site-specific fertilization and still achieve high yields. Results from the UGent team demonstrated that the site-specific nitrogen fertilization reduced the usage of nitrogen in fertilizer by 19 %. Also, in the case of manure, the developed technique resulted in the reduced usage of nitrogen and phosphorus by 4% and 7%, respectively.

In December 2021, the integrated robot-potato seeding technology will be on display for the first time at the agricultural fair AGRIBEX (https://www.agribex.be). The combination of the robot with our technology can be commercially available within 3 years.