ATLAS project to integrate and connect farm data sources

Under the EU Horizon project ”Agricultural Interoperability and Analysis System” (ATLAS) a new open interoperability network to integrate and connect many farm data sources simply is being developed. This common data ‘interoperability’ network is to allow any stand-alone system used on the farm to connect, thus providing one single access point for the farmer. The German Agricultural Society (DLG) has been testing ATLAS on its trial farm, the International DLG Crop Production Center.

Enable any system to provide or retrieve data

“Many sensor based systems, like the popular ‘nitrogen sensor’, come with their own software and, while each system is easy to install and use, there is no overall data platform that pulls all of the results together for a simple overview. This means the farmer has to access each system individually, which not only often takes time but also does not give the farmer the chance to see all the data together. What ATLAS does is build an open interoperability network to enable any system to provide or retrieve data simply,” says Florian Schiller, project manager digital agriculture, International DLG Crop Production Center.

Some 30 members from 7 European countries in the ATLAS project are developing the new open interoperability network that ensures the free flow of data and that systems from any company are compatible. One of five designated ATLAS ‘innovation hubs, the DLG’s International Crop Production Center, has been collecting data from demonstration farms and has tested the new data network under real life conditions. With its 600 hectare farm conducting both crop rotations and irrigation trials, the center in this project is responsible for the overall coordination of the ATLAS innovation hubs.

As part of the trial, DLG International Crop Production Center is collecting data from a range of sources:

• Online task management and machine tracking
• Field data management and infield sensor connection
• Target fertilisation
• Target crop protection
• Herd management and Livestock behaviour analysis

Increased compatibility with all digital tools

“The benefit for the farmer is increased compatibility with all the digital tools he uses. The farmer will no longer encounter the interface incompatibilities that still exist here and there in this sector,” added Schiller.

Using the network is to result in time savings and increased efficiency, additionally it is expected to enable a market place for data analysis tools that the farmer can then use easily.

The ATLAS Demo Day 2021 takes place on 24 November 2021 10.00 am – 1.00 pm as part of the “AGRITECHNICA digital” program on the DLG-Connect platform.