Connectivity in the field does not pay for itself, executives say
Connectivity in the field is still a bottleneck for expanding the use of data, accelerating decisions and enabling new technologies in agriculture. Sector executives highlighted, in a panel at the Rural Summit, that the financial return does not only come from installing connectivity, but from the practical application of information generated in real time.
Digital transformation supervisor at Usina Santa Adélia, Guilherme Martins stated that connectivity needs to be accompanied by other tools to generate operational results. "It doesn't pay for itself, connectivity. You need to have use for it. Linked to connectivity, we put new technologies to reduce operational costs so that the project could be paid for", he said.
According to him, the plant implemented the system in 2022 and began operating with high levels of coverage and continuous monitoring of agricultural machines. "You can make decisions faster, you are more active with connectivity. It becomes real time so that we can capture the gains", he stated.
According to Martins, in the first cycle after implementation, the company achieved more than 90% connectivity coverage in the field and maintained between 92% and 94% of the machines' time connected.
Artificial intelligence
Among the operational results cited are a 30% reduction in engine idle time (when the equipment remains on without operating) and a 5% drop in diesel consumption. Active monitoring also made it possible to extend harvester cutting times by an hour and a half.
The relationship between connectivity and decision making was also highlighted by Alexandre Dal Forno, director of business and B2B solutions at TIM. According to him, connection infrastructure is a prerequisite for the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture. "To have data you have to have connectivity, and there will be no way to use AI to group the information and be able to make the appropriate decisions", he stated.
João Aranda, manager of infrastructure, governance and IT services at SLC Agrícola, defined connectivity as an enabling technology for other applications within agricultural operations. "Don't look so much at the cost", he said when commenting on the need to see connectivity as a basis for later gains.
Aranda stated that the flow of data within companies has changed in recent years. "The information that went to a partner and he gave you a report, is now enough for us. Data stops being a liability and becomes a strategic value within the operation", he stated.
He also mentioned changes related to governance and protection of information generated in the field. According to the executive, companies began to maintain data more strictly and with their own controls, without depending on public artificial intelligence platforms.
Source: CNN