Precision technologies on farms are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Šarūnas Sadauskas, Head of Precision Technologies at the company Agrokoncernas, provides a practical example: in one farm sowing rapeseed costs €12 per hectare, while in another it costs €200.
According to him, such significant differences are determined by consistent investments in soil testing, smart agricultural equipment, and machinery.
Farmers and agronomists met at the conference “A Precise Step into the Future” agree that technologies help not only to work more efficiently but also more economically, especially in challenging years.
Farm planning tasks – in one place
Precision technologies on farms are not new, but S. Sadauskas notes that while five years ago only larger and stronger farms used them, today their use has grown significantly.
Soil testing, work planning based on satellite maps, field scanning with sensors, precision steering, fertilization, spraying, and variable-rate sowing – all these technologies are well known to farmers and are widely used.
However, S. Sadauskas notes that even technologies already familiar to everyone continue to evolve, improve, and update.
Agrokoncernas introduced an updated farm management platform Agro247 for farmers, which now also includes a soil research module. From now on, all farm planning tasks can be carried out in one place.
Another novelty is that the partner OneSoil, whose maps are used for variable-rate sowing, has started cooperating with the Planet satellite. This means that instead of pixels measuring 10 by 10 meters, the system moves to an even more precise 3 by 3 meters. Such accuracy allows work to be carried out even more precisely and economically.
Waiting for a breakthrough in robotics
Arminas Živatkauskas from the Telšiai district confirms that finding workers is becoming increasingly difficult, but in his opinion robotic solutions will be effective when one person can control several machines at once.
If one employee is needed to control one tractor, that person is still necessary. The breakthrough in robotic technologies will come when one person can control several robots. It is only a matter of time.
His farm already uses the main precision technologies, but for those who cannot afford all of them, he advises starting with soil testing.
If you have a field where nothing grows, you conduct tests and see that one or another element is lacking. Soil testing, variable-rate fertilization, and liming are probably the foundation.
Counting every cent
Farmer Daivaras Skiotys from the Telšiai district says that his farm uses all the precision technologies presented at the conference, but he also emphasizes the importance of experienced agronomists.
Over the past three years, yields have been increasing and production costs are being reduced with the help of technology. These solutions not only make work more convenient but also save money and time.
The coming years may not be easy. Low grain and milk prices force farmers to work very rationally and carefully.
Income this year may be 30–40 percent lower, so only by saving and counting every cent can farms continue moving forward.
Agronomists rely on numbers, not words
Farmer Kęstutis Tamašauskas from the Panevėžys district attended the conference to gain knowledge. His main goal is to acquire more agricultural land and then gradually invest in precision technologies.
Considering grain prices and expenses, farmers want to earn more and keep more profit rather than putting everything back into the soil.
Agronomists say farmers are not afraid of innovations. Even if financial possibilities are limited, many farms still aim to become more innovative and efficient
Generational change on farms
Farmer Stasys Pranckus from the Alytus district attended the conference with his son, who will continue the work on the family farm after completing agronomy studies.
Although livestock farming has been abandoned, the farm continues to adopt new technologies such as sensors, automatic steering, and variable-rate sowing.
The younger generation is gradually taking over farms and bringing more digital solutions and technology into everyday agricultural work. “If you don’t move forward, you will have nothing,” says the farmer. Wideo
