INCREASING PROFITABILITY WHILE LIGHTENING THE LOAD FOR WORKERS The automation of agriculture is already under way on a significant proportion of Swiss farms. A number of – mainly digital – solutions can be employed to increase profitability through greater use of more detailed crop analysis. For example, Gamaya (Canton of Vaud) is developing hightech cameras used to analyse the condition of a crop and assess what treatment it requires. Very high-resolution images provide valuable information about the physiological condition of the plants, which can then be used by autonomous agricultural machinery. The robotisation of agriculture relieves farmers from repetitive and sometime unpleasant tasks. The rapid growth of ecoRobotix (Canton of Vaud) shows just how much interest there is in the use of robots. This fledgling company is developing a robot powered by integrated solar panels that can weed whole fields with pinpoint accuracy by injecting very small doses of herbicide precisely where they are required, entirely autonomously. ecoRobotix uses AI to recognise the weeds and disregard the other plants (see page 87). Another example is QualySense (Canton of Zurich), which has developed an automated system that sorts grain and seed efficiently on the basis of criteria set by the farmer. This system can process around 30 grains per second.
Still in the dairy sector, Icube based in Bulle (Canton of Fribourg) uses a digital payment system to pay milk suppliers. A connected weighing device with sensors compatible with all delivery methods (churns and tankers) measures the volumes delivered and automatically assigns them to the relevant farmers. Sampling for quality analysis purposes is also automated, making it easy to exchange data with analysis laboratories. In addition, Icube had developed a MilkPay app that manages the milk purchasing process, calculating the payments due and ensuring that producers are paid for the precise quantity they deliver. This system saves time for both the farmers and the producers of the finished products. It also improves transparency in the trading and delivery processes. In addition, Icube has developed software that not only automatically inspects and analyses cheese production but also generates digital manufacturing data sheets. Secateurs specialist Felco has also invested in digital technology to improve the profitability of agriculture, and viticulture in particular, coming up with a digital unit that optimises vineyard management. Developed jointly with the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), this device makes it easy to identify diseased vines and plan any necessary vineyard work.
In Romont (Canton of Fribourg), JNJ Automation is developing robots that handle cheeses during the maturing process. These devices are able to turn over, salt and move the rounds of cheese, saving the farmer valuable time (see page 73).
EXISTING AND FUTURE SOLUTIONS 21
