Off-Road Automation Technology in European Agriculture - State of the art and expected trends

Agriculture in Europe is highly heterogeneous. To a great extent, agricultural cultivation is done in disadvantageous small structures (about 1 ha field size). The structural changes towards larger cultivation units are rising. The differences within the member countries are increasing because of the extension of the EU. The mechanization has reached a very high level with various cutting edge technologies. The trend of self-propelled machinery is advancing. For this, electronics is used to relieve the driver in combination with enhancements in performance and safety. Nevertheless, the tractor will still be the central machine for farming. Precision farming concentrates on high yields using optimized nitrogen fertilization strategies. Site specific farming will overcome the small structures by virtual land consolidation. All in all, environmental protection is the driving force in precision farming. When having additional investments in technology, at first requirements of the society will be addressed. The public claims continuous documentation which therefore defines the challenges of automation in future.     «

Agriculture in Europe is highly heterogeneous. To a great extent, agricultural cultivation is done in disadvantageous small structures (about 1 ha field size). The structural changes towards larger cultivation units are rising. The differences within the member countries are increasing because of the extension of the EU. The mechanization has reached a very high level with various cutting edge technologies. The trend of self-propelled machinery is advancing. For this, electroni...     »