INTERVIEW
AGRICULTURE IS , MORE than ever , a numbers game . According to the United Nations , farmers need to sustainably generate 50 % more yield by 2050 if the world ’ s population is to be fed .
Around 11 % ( 1.5bn hectares ) of the land on earth is used in crop production , roughly a third of the total land perceived to be in some degree suitable for arable farming . However , finding an extra 50 % yield is not as simple as farming more land . The uneven spread , quality and potential environmental impact are all factors which lead many commentators to believe there is , in fact , very little or no land left to be cultivated .
What is certain is that existing cropland simply has to be farmed more efficiently . For German multinationals Bosch and Bayer , this means developing and implementing smart agriculture solutions .
Dr Boris Buchtala , Head of Smart Agriculture at Bosch Corporate Research , leads the company ’ s explorations in smart agriculture . At the heart of a new project with agronomy giant Bayer , he and his team have been pioneering more effective ways of using herbicides , a
“ We are not only thinking of spraying and reduction of herbicides . This is about wider , more sustainable farming also in fertilisation and irrigation and in conjunction with connected services ”
– Dr Boris Buchtala , Head of Smart Agriculture at Bosch Corporate Research
8 December 2017