An innovative Swiss project brings together Agroscope, Fenaco, FHO, Sunrise UPC and Huawei to make agriculture more sustainable thanks to 5G, drones and automation. The aim: to combat weeds, reduce herbicide use and improve crop efficiency, with technologies such as machine learning and autonomous vehicles.
Five Swiss companies and institutions are joining forces to revolutionize agriculture and make it more sustainable thanks to Big Data, 5G, drones and autonomous vehicles. This collaborative project, supported by Innosuisse, aims to improve crop efficiency and reduce the use of chemicals.
Among the partners, Agroscope, Fenaco, the University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland (FHO), Sunrise UPC and Huawei are working together to combat the spread of weeds, in particular dock, a noxious plant that threatens other crops. Currently, its elimination often requires manual treatments or the excessive use of herbicides.
The project uses drones to photograph crops, then analyzes the images via a 5G connection to identify weeds in real time. This data is then sent to a tractor or agricultural robot which, thanks to GPS technology, precisely targets the plants to be treated. This system, combining machine learning and precision spraying, promises to reduce the use of chemicals and make farming more environmentally friendly.
The applications of these technologies are vast: they could increase milk production by 30% and reduce pesticide use by 90%. At the same time, special drones called “optidrones” are being used to protect corn fields by releasing parasitoid wasps to combat the European corn borer.
This ambitious project embodies the future of sustainable agriculture, combining technological innovation and environmental protection.
Source : ICTjournal
