From June 20 to July 2, participants from Kazakhstani consortium partners took part in the study trip on Module 1 "SMART agriculture and digitalization" which was held in the University of Nürtingen-Geislingen, Nürtingen, Germany.
The study trip began with a tour around HfWU campus and University research farms. The participants worked in groups, arranged self-presentations and expressed their expectations. They listened to a presentation on the topic “Defining the objectives of the seminar. Understanding and methods related to digitalization in Baden-Württemberg". Then the project administrator PhD-student Sara Pfaff presented the practical examples and European experience in applying digital technologies in agriculture. Mrs. Sara Pfaff reported about the DiWenkLa project, which she and her colleagues supervise. Doctoral student Michael Paulus held a speech about agricultural digitalization in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The next days were devoted to practical excursions and study visits to agricultural enterprises; they are fodder-drying plant Lamerdingen. This enterprise is large in scale and is engaged in the supply of feed for farmers and specialty stores in the region. In this plant, all stages of feed production are carried out, from harvesting to storage of feed. Then, the participants visited Johannes Zell's enterprise involved in processing local oilseeds into edible oils, flour, and seeds. They also visited fields with different types of plants, asked questions and had discussions on various crop topics.
From June 20 to July 2, participants from Kazakhstani consortium partners took part in the study trip on Module 1 "SMART agriculture and digitalization" which was held in the University of Nürtingen-Geislingen, Nürtingen, Germany.
The study trip began with a tour around HfWU campus and University research farms. The participants worked in groups, arranged self-presentations and expressed their expectations. They listened to a presentation on the topic “Defining the objectives of the seminar. Understanding and methods related to digitalization in Baden-Württemberg". Then the project administrator PhD-student Sara Pfaff presented the practical examples and European experience in applying digital technologies in agriculture. Mrs. Sara Pfaff reported about the DiWenkLa project, which she and her colleagues supervise. Doctoral student Michael Paulus held a speech about agricultural digitalization in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
The next days were devoted to practical excursions and study visits to agricultural enterprises; they are fodder-drying plant Lamerdingen. This enterprise is large in scale and is engaged in the supply of feed for farmers and specialty stores in the region. In this plant, all stages of feed production are carried out, from harvesting to storage of feed. Then, the participants visited Johannes Zell's enterprise involved in processing local oilseeds into edible oils, flour, and seeds. They also visited fields with different types of plants, asked questions and had discussions on various crop topics.
During the following days of the study trip teachers and PhD-students visited DiWenkLa exhibition, where new ideas for applying digital technologies in the region were presented. The project concerns, in particular, the use of digital technologies in the production sectors of agriculture (cereals and protein fruits), vegetable growing, pasture farming, animal husbandry and horse breeding. DiWenkLa is one of 14 German digital pilot projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. In the context of DiWenkLa, research is carried out by the University of Hohenheim (UHOH) and the Environmental Economic University Nürtingen-Geislingen (HfWU) together with the state institutions of the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection of Baden-Württemberg.
Various (digital) technologies from the field of robotics and automation, as well as sensors, including in combination with artificial intelligence, are being further developed and applied. But communications systems, as well as cloud and farm management systems (FMIS), are also in the spotlight. These (digital) technologies and systems should further support the protection of the environment and nature, improve animal welfare, as well as facilitate work and increase economic efficiency. Other goals are to gain additional and self-sustaining access to processing, retail and end-consumers at a low cost, as well as to increase the resilience of companies in the event of systemic failures.
The second week of the study trip was devoted to experience and expertise exchange by means of presenting elaborated teaching units. Teachers from Kazakhstan and Europe represented their materials on the subtopics of Module 1 “SMART agriculture and digitalization”.
On July 1, the solemn part of the training seminar and the ceremony of awarding certificates of participation took place; the participants shared their impressions of the seminar.