Meeting the High Demands of the Agricultural Industry

Agritechnica 2025 took place in November in Hannover, Germany. The exhibition welcomed 2,800 exhibitors from over 50 countries, including 234 world premieres, presenting advanced farm equipment and solutions. With 430,000+ visitors and the entire 23 halls fully booked, this year’s edition included exhibitors from 52 countries showcasing intelligent, connected technologies that make farming more sustainable, productive and user-friendly.  Per a report from the show, a new highlight this year was the Digital Farm Center, featuring 160 exhibitors showcasing the full spectrum of digital agriculture with four thematic zones: GPS and guidance systems; robotics and drones; sensor technology; and software solutions. Many farmers are already using digital technologies and applications. These tools are designed to make their work easier, increase productivity and profitability, reduce resource consumption, and counteract the shortage of labor. The potential of digitalization in agriculture is far from fully tapped. One area of particularly high expectations is Artificial Intelligence (AI). “Agriculture is one of the pioneers in AI and is ahead of most other industries. AI can significantly relieve the burden on agricultural businesses, giving farmers more time for other tasks. Smaller farms should make greater use of AI’s possibilities,” says Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder. “The use of AI is not a trend, but increasingly a necessity due to the many pressures faced by farm managers,” Says DLG Vice President Prof. Dr. Till Meinel from the Institute for Construction and Agricultural Machinery Technology in Cologne (IBL). The international study “Agriculture in Transition” by Continental, published in autumn 2023, also highlights Artificial Intelligence as a key factor in agriculture. According to the study, one-third of respondents expect AI applications to triple within the next five to ten years. Tech-savvy farmers have already started developing their own apps—with or without the help of AI tools. Examples from practice include inventory logs for tracking goods in and out, time-tracking apps for work organization, or planning tools for field management. In addition, there are numerous commercial applications such as digital yellow traps, smart grain storage systems, and predictive models for crop protection. For many farms, the paperless office is no longer a vision but a reality, as they use AI to increase the efficiency of workflows.

The AI language model ChatGPT is already being used on farms—as a diligent office assistant for structuring and writing texts, and as an advisor on technical questions, sometimes even replacing the need for a technician. To get the best results, questions to ChatGPT should be formulated precisely and in detail. However, despite its capabilities, ChatGPT does not always provide correct answers. Blind trust can be risky, so common sense should never be switched off. So, what sort of interesting tech could be found on the show floor relevant to Gear Technology and PTE readers?