Familiarising farmers with data generated by on-farm technologies

The data produced by farming technologies are a vital source of knowledge and information regarding crop conditions, but many farmers consider them complicated and difficult to manage. The European Innovation Partnership EIP-AGRI has documented ways of helping farmers familiarise themselves with these data, which are considered a valuable asset for improving agricultural production and managing farms more effectively. The data can enable farmers to gain a clearer understanding of the prevalent conditions in their fields and the needs of their crops.

For this reason, EIP-AGRI notes that an increasing number of farmers are using on-farm technologies. However, many are still unaware of the potential of the insights these tools provide. In other words, they are not always certain how to utilise the data effectively. It was therefore agreed that there is an urgent need to simplify data usage, enhance its visualisation, and focus on addressing the real challenges farmers face. In addition, it is important to explore the incentives that would encourage farmers to make use of these data-driven technologies.  

Adviser training

Another finding was that well-informed agricultural advisers can help farmers utilise the modern technologies that produce data. Equipped with knowledge of farming operations and their requirements, these professionals can assist farmers in understanding complex technologies and provide objective advice based on the data these technologies produce. For this reason, advisers need to keep up to date on the latest technologies and developments.

Another effective approach to familiarising farmers with data is through demonstration farms – agricultural holdings where modern technologies are applied and tested. These real-life applications produce data that enable farmers to see the benefits of such technologies first-hand.