“Technology alone is not the solution; the key lies in the professionals who use it…”
Fernando Miguel Scaramuzza is a researcher and specialist in precision agriculture at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology – INTA Manfredi.
Scaramuzza has a degree in agricultural engineering from the National University of Córdoba and a M.Sc. in plant production from the University of Buenos Aires.
Fernando Scaramuzza, researcher at INTA
AgriBrasilis – What are the limitations to the expansion of Precision Agriculture in Argentina?
Fernando Scaramuzza – Limitations involve the need for training and support from companies, both in customer service and in the selling of equipment.
Some relevant points are as follows:
- Focus on the user: technology alone is not the solution; the key lies in the professionals who use it;
- Learning must be carried out on a multilevel basis, focusing on the understanding and efficient use of technology;
- It is essential to address and develop new working formats to integrate young people into the sector;
- Companies that provide Precision Agriculture (PA) services need to support agricultural companies in the adoption process, with a comprehensive view of the production process;
During the 90s, the incorporation of new technologies allowed Argentine farmers to become more competitive, with emphasis on no-till farming; the incorporation of GMOs, such as RR soybeans; and the reduction in the cost of phytosanitary products.
Another important factor was the emergence of smart factories, the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, Industry 4.0 (smart industries), etc. All of these technologies allowed our country to make a significant leap in grain production, reaching more than 140 million tonnes, with a planted area of almost 40 million hectares.
Our country has extensive knowledge of PA. Argentina is not only at the forefront of the world, but also exports knowledge and technology. We have highly qualified and experienced professionals with a long history in various topics inherent to the agri-food system.
AgriBrasilis – Are agriculture 4.0 technologies affordable? What is the cost of adopting them?
Fernando Scaramuzza – All technologies have costs. The important thing is to understand how we should incorporate them and for what purposes.
When we adopt a technology, it must return a profit to us in such a way that the IRR (internal rate of return) can be used as an indicator of profitability, where the higher the IRR, the higher the profitability; thus, this indicator can be used as one of the criteria for deciding whether to accept or to reject an investment.
AgriBrasilis – What practices have been implemented and in which crops? What is the scope of PA adoption in the country?
Fernando Scaramuzza – In extensive crops, the implementation of Precision Agriculture is much more widespread in Argentina, but this does not mean that it has not been implemented in intensive crops.
In fact, I believe that intensive crops present a greater opportunity for the adoption of PA, as they are generally highly profitable. These are foods produced for direct consumption, which means that obtaining production data helps to track production in order to obtain certification, for example.
AgriBrasilis – What are the yield gains from precision agriculture for corn, soybeans and wheat?
Fernando Scaramuzza – Precision agriculture uses advanced technologies such as sensors, GPS, satellite imagery, data analysis and automation to optimize the use of inputs and improve yields. In crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat, yield gains vary depending on the technology adopted, farming management and local conditions.
Corn: precision agriculture can increase corn yields from 10% to 20% on average. This is due to better nutrient management, pest control and efficient use of water through irrigation using sensors, etc.
Soybeans: it is possible to observe an increase from 5% to 15% on average in soybean productivity through precision agriculture, thanks to the controlled application of inputs and early detection of water or nutritional stress. In addition, the localized application of herbicides, fertilizers and other inputs can generate significant savings of up to 20%. Through the diagnosis provided by the use of sensors and data analysis, pest and disease control can be optimized, reducing yield losses.
Wheat: yield gains can range from 10% to 15%, and can be greater with the use of accurate data, which we transform into information for decision-making. More precise management of irrigation, fertilization and weed control with selective sensors are examples of what can be done in wheat. Precision irrigation and controlled application of inputs can reduce water use by up to 25% and fertilizer use by more than 15%. Monitoring and analysis tools help improve grain quality, for example. We must never forget that we are producing food and, with good management and traceability, we can bring better prices to the markets.
AgriBrasilis – You helped develop a model to estimate alfalfa (lucerne) sowing and cover crop quality using drones. How does this model work?
Fernando Scaramuzza – Drones allow us to collect large volumes of data and assess crop coverage at different times, with high spatial resolution. The platform facilitates information processing and is a simple tool for users to make decisions.
The proposal we have developed consists of assessment protocols that, through drone flights and the use of the Vistaguay digital agricultural platform, can quantify the coverage that alfalfa crops present at planting and throughout their useful life. Although these methods are widely used in agricultural crops, there was no precedent for alfalfa. The combination of the high spatial resolution of drones and the scalability of satellites allows data to be generated throughout the entire crop cycle.
AgriBrasilis – What are the trends in precision agriculture in Argentina?
Fernando Scaramuzza – Innovations are linked to Argentina’s production profile, focused on agriculture in general (55%), extensive crops (26%) and meat or milk production (15%), with only 3% and 1% for intensive crops and fresh vegetables, respectively.
When analyzing the level of digital technologies in the AgTech universe, there is a greater focus on remote sensing (46%), geolocation (36%), and mobile telephony (30%). To a lesser extent, it is possible to observe the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and artificial intelligence, with blockchain and robotics still in their infancy.
READ MORE: