Connectivity in the field generates sector qualification

Connectivity in rural areas is synonymous with greater productivity, as it makes it possible to automate work and also develop strategic management through information made available via applications. According to the Department of Innovation for Agriculture of MAP, around 6% to 9% of Brazilian agriculture has some type of connection, a number that must advance with public and private initiatives. Perfect Flight, for example, monitored 3,184 million hectares in just over three years of activity and, with greater connectivity in the field, this quantity tends to grow.

For Alexis Hakim, business intelligence manager responsible for the startup's data intelligence, today there are several services that positively revolutionize the results obtained in Brazilian properties. Previously, the producer was unable to evaluate the adherence, success and failure of applications, for example. In some cases, as a result, the producer suffered significant losses due to pest infestation caused by poor distribution of pesticides.

“Now, within 12 hours, with the application it is possible to identify whether the application was satisfactory or not, which favors agility in decision making, all thanks to digital evolution”, emphasizes Alexis. The professional also points out that connectivity in the field is still an evolving reality, which tends to be broader and more advantageous.

With plantations in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, Xingu Agri, a reference in cotton production, is an example of how Perfect Flight's services help to achieve productivity. “In addition to the gain, there is the issue of time optimization. The plantations are in different and distant states, but internet connectivity allows data to reach the producer in a faster period, without wasting time”, analyzes Tahishi Nitta, production director at Xingu Agri

The director also highlights that “the monitoring activity improves the quality of the application and, consequently, our production. We joined the Perfect Flight service two years ago and, at that time, our technology team invested in connectivity due to the arrival of Perfect Flight and also to improve other issues and equipment that depend on the web signal”. According to Nitta, connectivity in the countryside is also linked to the sustainable development of agriculture.

Alexis says that “there are companies working to improve connectivity in the field right now. Both telecommunications giants and startups looking for solutions.” He points out, however, that due to the size of the national territory it will still take some time for the entire rural area of ​​the country to be connected.

To overcome the situation and not depend solely on government investments, Brazilian farmers have alternatives. One already used by the majority is satellite internet access, points out the business intelligence manager.

At farm headquarters with this type of connectivity, the challenge is to expand the service to the field. Aware of this difficulty, the processing of data from the Perfect Flight application does not require an internet signal. “The producer only needs connectivity to submit the logs, a type of flight file that contains aerial and spraying data, and to view the results of the application”, explains Alexis, but he still indicates to the customer, at a minimum, connectivity in the property headquarters.

However, to expand the customer range and the satisfaction of those who have already subscribed to the service, Perfect Fligth has been structuring itself to deliver features that do not depend on connectivity 100% of the time. “In the version of the application under development, the data will be stored on the producer's device and access to the latest applications can be done offline. In the same way, the customer will be able to consult updated market information”, explains Alexis.

For the professional, the low connectivity in the field is a challenge, as it “makes faster analyzes unfeasible”. One way to deliver more and more value to the market, even in this scenario, is to systematically add new tools to the application. “More recently, we added the meteorological function to the system, thereby helping the producer to avoid application in periods of drizzle, rain and wind so as not to waste products and, consequently, money”, he states.