- The Bosch Field Monitoring solution is being presented in Spain, having already been used for grape, citrus fruit, berry, tomato, and olive crops.
It is becoming increasingly common to read headlines such “Frosts cost millions in damage to crops”, “2017 driest year since 1965”, and “Reservoirs ten points lower than decade average”. These extreme droughts and frosts are a result of climate change and, according to data from the agricultural group UPA, cost farmers 1.6 billion euros in the first five months of 2017 alone.
Faced with this reality, the agricultural sector is opting for new technologies to better control crops and optimise resources. This is why Bosch has developed the Field Monitoring solution. The system application offers the option of setting alarms, which helps prevent the total or partial loss of production due to frosts. Since the wet bulb temperature is being measured at all times, the farmer can take the appropriate preventive measures. The system also prevents the misuse of water, since it also measures soil moisture, enabling decisions to be made about when and how much to water. It also controls the temperature and moisture of the plant. Thus, when the farmer receives the alarm on their smartphone, they have a period of time to react, whether this means activating sprinklers to prevent damage from freezing, opening greenhouses to reduce humidity and prevent fungal growth, or activating irrigation systems to ensure the soil is not too dry.
In short, this is a simple and easy-to-install solution that is aimed at helping farmers make better decisions by providing them with information about the state of their fields, anytime and anywhere. This solution also pays for itself after just a few months of use as it enables resources to be optimised.
Bosch at FIMA 2018: Field Monitoring
The Field Monitoring system, developed by the Bosch start-up Deepfield Robotics, is the main feature of the leading technology and services company’s stand at the 40th edition of the International Agricultural Machinery Fair (FIMA), which took place from 20-24 February 2018 in Saragossa. It is the largest agricultural fair in Southern Europe and includes mechanical solutions and technological innovations that improve agricultural profitability, yields, and productivity. The last edition attracted 220,000 visitors.
Agriculture 4.0: Harvesting data to make better decisions
Bosch uses its experience in sensor technology, software, and services and applies it to new market sectors, such as smart cities, smart homes, eMobility, Industry 4.0, and smart agriculture. The aim is to offer innovative solutions based on the IoT in order to achieve a connected world. In just four years, it is estimated that 14 billion pieces of equipment will be connected, including household appliances, security cameras, vehicles, and industrial machinery.
Estefanía Hernández, head of development for Smart Agro in Spain, says: “In the agricultural field, Bosch’s aim is to achieve more sustainable and efficient agriculture through solutions that are affordable and easy to use and install. According to BI Intelligence, there are currently more than 43 million connected objects in the agricultural sector and it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 500,000 data points generated per farmer per day, which demonstrates the vast potential of this market.”
Thanks to all this data, the farmer can make better decisions based on accurate, real-time information, preventing freezing, overheating, fungi growth, and the inappropriate use of water during irrigation. With these types of solutions based on the Internet of Things, farmers can increase their profitability by 1.5 percent and reduce costs by 3-6 percent.
