100 Years Swiss Agricultural Technology

In the middle of the 20th century, tractors gradually replaced the draught animals predominantly used in agriculture. 100 years later, will robots storm the fields?

From horses to steam tractors and from engine technology to smart farming: in recent years, more and more digital ele- ments have been installed in agricultural machines. Just like in the tractor on the stamp, which is working the green stretch of land with millimetre precision thanks to GPS-based tracking. “This precise alignment while driving means that thework gets done efficiently and with less fuel consumption,” explains Roman Engel- er, Director of the Swiss Agricultural Tech- nology Association. It also means that fertilizers and pesticides could be applied more precisely. For example, with camer- as using artificial intelligence cameras recognizing weeds, pests or fungal infes- tations so that protective agents are ap- plied only where needed. Although the currently available possibilities tend to be used selectively rather than across the board, Engeler is confident: “Agricultural technology will continue to develop, par- ticularly in terms of digitization and sen- sor-based systems – from devices operat- ing autonomously to robots.”