(2)Herculano
The main challenge to the sector is closely associated with the latest data released by the UN, which estimates that by 2050, the world population will increase between two and three billion (from seven to 10 billion). According to FAO1, this demographic factor - alongside the increase in the economic power of underdeveloped countries - will double the demand for food and, consequently, agricultural productivity, due to the decline in terms of availability of arable land. The need to produce more with less resources will inevitably lead to the intensification of agricultural production systems, which may entail greater risks in terms of pests and diseases, reduced soil fertility and environmental issues, e.g., contamination, salinisation and soil erosion. The only way to mitigate these issues is the use of innovative technologies that focus on processes with high levels of performance, from a perspective of precision agriculture, which will have a positive impact on resource efficiency. In this sense, precision agriculture is a top priority in the future, with machines based on automation technology for precision processes able to apply the right amount of products, in specific places and at the right time, while evaluating and reporting the crops and soil's status, according to principles of agriculture 4.0
Among the factors that influence the adoption of precision agriculture, the following can be listed:
- Agricultural entrepreneurs: level of education/training, age, investment capacity, computer knowledge, human resources, risk aversion, dimension, and insight.
- Technology: gains perceptibility, ease of operationalisation, initial investment cost, difficulty of interpreting collected data.
- Others: existence of service providers, adequate and effective support by manufacturers/sellers, strength of the "innovation system"/communication.
Hence, we believe in the importance of introducing a set of actions to demystify and encourage the use of these technologies, such as:
- Change the paradigm of farmers and support the implementation of a more professional culture that focus on return on investment. Therefore, and concerning all technology, the premise is the same: how much will it impact costs and what's the return on investment. It's crucial to provide relevant and tangible services, that ensure return on investment. In this sense, it's important to invest in studies that compare the current and future situations, as well as in demonstration initiatives.
- It's also crucial to promote training actions for users/farmers, sharing knowledge and empowering them for this new era of agriculture. However, these initiatives should be carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, in a structured way, by adopting incentive policies and creating networks and ecosystems to share competencies and skills among all stakeholders.
- Establish a national association of agricultural machinery manufacturers, which truly addresses the interests, needs and real difficulties of the sector and engages with the political authorities. A clear example is Ansemat2 (Spain), a reference in terms of representing the goals of manufacturers, with a strong mobilising power among political entities, also dedicated to informative and formative initiatives targeting the Spanish agricultural sector.
- Creation of direct funding instruments for farmers, namely for the acquisition of precision agriculture equipment; if companies and tech institutes are investing in technology, it's important to promote a nationwide engagement. It’s hard to develop new products (agriculture 4.0) that don’t find their place in the Portuguese market; in general, we’re still in the mechanisation era, and it’s crucial to overcome barriers, namely by renovating the equipment fleet.
- Address safety issues (e.g., replace potentially hazardous tasks with robotics solutions). Portugal is the third country in the EU with the most accidents involving agricultural machinery. More than 350 fatalities in five years are associated with tractor accidents (data available for the period between 2013 and 2017).
At Herculano, the digital revolution is a path we started three years ago, with an analysis of our strategy and market (current and future) as the first step. Soon, we realised that we lacked a piece to complete our puzzle, and that was when INESC TEC came in - in the first phase, within the scope of an isolated DPA project, a debit solution proportional to the advance in terms of cisterns and spreaders. This phase was important to establish a relationship before we decided to establish of a partnership protocol between Herculano and the Institute, signed at Agroglobal 2018, with the presence of the Minister of Agriculture. Then, we decided to promote a new project named “Smart Fertilizers”, focusing on the R&D of smart cisterns and spreaders, at a competitive, efficient, and versatile cost, within the scope of agriculture 4.0. It was a clear contribution to increase the efficiency of the fertilisation operations, considering environmental, agronomic, and economic aspects.
Nowadays, fertilisation and organic soil correction - using manure spreaders and slurry cisterns - are agronomic operations carried out with very low environmental and economic efficiency. There are even European regulations, expected to become harsher, which require greater control in fertilisation processes to reduce the amount of nitrogen applied.
Currently, the shortage of raw materials has a significant impact on the availability of artificial fertilisers. Due to high costs, mainly caused by rising energy prices, fertiliser manufacturers are limiting their production. This threatens the availability of chemical fertilisers for the next season. There is a great need for a sustainable alternative, e.g., organic fertilisers, to ensure optimal growth.
Pulverizadores Rocha, SA, through its R&D department and together with some external entities, namely INESC TEC, has been working to develop technological solutions within the framework of the digital revolution in agriculture, and to increase the profitability of agricultural holdings while simplifying processes. In fact, agriculture cannot live under the notion of doing things because others do them, or because that’s how things are usually done. It is important to innovate and address the current needs, like producing in smaller spaces, promote sustainability, tackle climate change, work out the lack of qualified workforces, among others.
Herculano and Pulverizadores Rocha, SA aim to create innovative and automated digital solutions for the sector, while disseminating the use of digital agriculture to all agents, thus facilitating, and democratising the access to technology.
(1)Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(2)Asociación Nacional de Maquinaria Agropecuaria y Espacios Verdes