The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to increase agricultural efficiency, but products from different tractor and machine manufacturers do not currently ‘speak’ the same language and therefore cannot exchange digital information.
To overcome this problem, and design the future of connectivity in agriculture, 70 partners, including 365FarmNet, Aarhus University, AGCO, AgroIntelli, CNH Industrial, Grimme, Kverneland, and the Dutch Wageningen University and Research, have teamed up to form the Internet of Food and Farm 2020 project (IoF2020). With €30 million co-funded by the EU, the project is claimed as an important step forward towards real interoperability between machines, sensors and software.
Using the ADAPT framework (an open source software toolkit from AgGateway) allows digital data to be exchanged between agricultural equipment and software platforms using a simple plug-in. The goal is to make it possible for farmers to use different types and brands of equipment with a wide variety of software or services, regardless of manufacturer.
The next step in the process of increased interoperability includes real time and bi-directional vehicle-cloud communication. For this, the team will work together with the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF), an independent organisation with more than 200 member companies. The main aim is to improve cross-manufacturer compatibility of electronic and electric components in agricultural equipment, and to establish transparency about compatibility issues.The first results of a network of trials throughout Europe are expected shortly.
