Technology solution monitors real-time data 

18 July 2018

A report released in April by Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply in Brazil, pointed out that Brazil's agricultural production has quadrupled in the last 41 years. To get an idea, in 1975, grain production was 40.6 million tons, while the record 2016/2017 harvest was 238 million tons.

Improved resource use and improved agricultural machinery were key to this growth. To increase yield from existing land, Hexagon’s agriculture division launched the HxGN AgrOn Production solution, which provides intelligent production management for agricultural and forestry operations.

In practice, the solution, which comprises a set of software and hardware, monitors data in real-time, providing a complete view of all events during field production. The solution automates the most efficient use of machines, fuel, inputs, water, and even the seeds used.

The technology also enables the tracking of actions in detail, alerting swiftly and intelligently to deviations and supporting decision making. Information supplies artificial intelligence tools, which gradually "learn" the processes and are even able to recommend actions, based on the patterns previously captured.

This approach and algorithms are the focus of Hexagon, which has technologies and similar offerings in several other industries such as mining, construction and smart cities. Hexagon's agriculture division develops a range of technology solutions that are always aimed at automating and increasing efficiency in agricultural processes.

How Technology Works at Each Step

AgrOn Production is a modular platform to plan, execute, and monitor the entire crop cycle. Modules can be implemented individually and integrated with technology from other suppliers or purchased as a complete solution.

— AgrOn Planting Plan

Calculates the inputs, resources, and land needed, and recommends the optimal planting and cultivation strategy to achieve the business objective targets at the lowest cost.

— AgrOn Resource Plan

Optimises each year’s cultivation plan for maximum yield at lowest cost. It allows you to schedule operations intelligently and estimate quantity of resource required at each stage.

— AgrOn Fleet Support

Improves the management of support vehicles that maintain and supply the primary machines used for cultivation.

— AgrOn Service Orders

Ensures the cultivation plan is optimally executed by automatically issuing georeferenced service orders to production locations and onboard controllers.

— AgrOn Onboard Controllers

Employs our software to fuse sensor data, receive/transmit operational data, and deliver insights in real-time.

— AgrOn Control Room

Receives data from production locations enabling centralised monitoring and management of all cultivation operations.