General Development DLG-Agrifuture Insights: Farmers focus on innovations in nutrient application

The economic environment of farmers in Germany in 2018 was marked by the long-lasting drought. The drought has led to some significant loss of revenue. In dairy cattle farming, the drought has partly led to food shortages combined with the need to replenish food stocks at high prices. Farmers have a particular interest in using technology in arable farming to use innovations to express nutrients from economic and mineral fertilizers more precisely in order to minimize nutrient loss. More accurate application techniques and digital maps for better control of nutrient delivery are important tools for more targeted nutrient delivery. In view of the increasingly difficult conditions for chemical crop protection, crop producers are relying on consistent field hygiene and the extension of crop rotation in order to adapt to cultivation.