New technologies stand out at Agritechnica 2023

The Agritechnica fair, whose 2023 edition takes place from November 12th to 18th, in Hanover (Germany), will have among its main topics the impacts of climate change. Based on this reality, the development of technologies that are less harmful to the environment is presented in different ways, ranging from software development to experiments with alternative propulsion. Timo Zipf (in the photo), Agritechnica project manager, expressed himself as follows on these issues...

Could you explain what the "DLG Prototype Club" is?

The new 'DLG-Prototype.Club' was initiated by DLG and allows teams of entrepreneurial software engineers and startups to solve technical challenges set by exhibitors ahead of the show. Teams will develop a working prototype where the focus is on inventiveness and rapid development.

The agricultural industry is developing at an enormous pace, largely made possible by data and software that provides farmers with more accurate data and machines. With the new DLG-Prototype.Club, we are reflecting not only the speed, but also the entrepreneurial spirit needed to deliver innovations.

Participating exhibitors specializing in digital products and services will formulate challenges for the development of intelligent solutions.

DLG in partnership with Prototype.Club will identify suitable entrepreneurs and engineers from its international network with multiple engineering teams handpicked for each exhibitor challenge. Teams will go through a "prototyping sprint" that will precede Agritechnica

At Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany, teams will present their prototypes with live commentary, along with their recommended business plans to the exhibitor who launched the challenge. Each of these challenge partners will define a prize for the winning team to receive.

The website mentions the "Driving Experience: Alternative Propulsion Systems". Could you tell us more about this and how visitors to AgriTechnica will be able to interact with these technologies?

For agricultural production, the reliable supply of mobile machinery with motive power is of crucial importance. Today, tractors, self-propelled machines and mobile loading and transport technology in agriculture are predominantly powered by diesel engines. However, requirements to reduce pollutants pose technical and economic challenges, meaning alternative drive systems are in demand. Agritechnica will explore alternative solutions and look for ways to increase energy efficiency, save CO2 and reduce diesel use. Renewable energy sources and regeneratively generated electricity are solutions that point in this direction. Today, different options are available for practical applications. But which alternative is suitable for use in agriculture? Do we need several alternatives at the same time? The fair offers the chance to experiment with agricultural technology with alternative drive systems beyond fossil diesel practically on a track.

How is AgriTechnica working to support farmers and agricultural businesses in times of climate change?

The organizer of Agritechnica, DLG, is a non-political, non-profit society that aims to enable knowledge sharing for practical farmers. The DLG has around 80 working groups made up of academics, practical farmers, companies and organizations. Climate change is a topic discussed in these working groups, especially in the group dedicated to agricultural production, seed improvement and irrigation.

These groups transfer knowledge of the status quo to the agricultural community and will find practical application at Agritechnica and other exhibitions. This knowledge about climate change that was generated especially with the farmer in mind can therefore be explored in more depth at Agritechnica. Farmers use the fair to support their investment decisions, but they also come to update themselves on specific challenges, where climate change is an obvious example. The topic is covered extensively in the technical program which has several hundred presentations.

This year's International Farmer's Day will focus on France and Poland. Could you tell us more about what this involves and why these countries were chosen?

International Farmers' Day is an ideal event for professionals and agribusinesses to find targeted information on technical solutions adapted to specific locations. This year focusing on Poland and France. The aim of International Farmers' Day, which debuted in 2019, is to showcase examples of best practice and explore challenges and solutions for farmers in key agricultural regions. International Farmer's Day, celebrated on November 14, is an event that will be of interest not only to French and Polish farmers, but also to those in Europe and even Brazil, which have many farmers looking to these countries for technical advances in agricultural production.

Agritechnica, with its full program of exhibitions and information for international farmers, provides guidance on the key agricultural challenges facing these two nations with their rich agricultural traditions - from climate change to irrigation technology and digitalization.