An assignment shaped during the SIMONE Cross‑Visit
During the Intensive Program (IP), Flemish (Vives) and Filipino students spent a full week working on Smart Farming. One of their tasks was to investigate how precision fertilisation could gain more traction in West Flanders’ arable farming sector. This assignment was part of SIMONE, which examines how digital technologies can support the transition to agro‑ecological farming.
The idea for this assignment did not come out of nowhere. During the SIMONE Cross‑Visit in the Netherlands, Griet and Chris from contracting company LOOWA exchanged insights with farmers, researchers and advisors from various Living Labs. These discussions inspired them to present the same challenge to students. Griet and Chris are active members of the SIMONE Living Lab Flanders and have been investing in precision technology for many years.
LOOWA: ten years of experience in precision agriculture
LOOWA is a pioneer in precision technology. “What started as an investment for our own comfort became the first step towards the high‑tech machinery we operate today,” Griet explains. Their first investments date back more than ten years. RTK GPS enabled them to switch to steering control, making long days in the field more comfortable. They soon noticed that avoiding overlap resulted in significant efficiency gains. Today, they can apply variable‑rate spraying, liming and fertilising, and their machines operate using task maps.
Yet farmer demand remains limited. Reasons include the perceived high cost of soil scans, especially for extensive arable crops. Farmers could also use free satellite imagery via platforms such as WatchItGrow, but few find their way to these tools. Knowledge plays a role as well: variable‑rate liming is more readily considered than variable‑rate fertilisation, because pH variations are visible and an incorrect pH can harm yields. For fertilisation, it is less clear where more or less fertiliser is needed and what the impact will be.
Students’ proposals
The students suggested several ways to improve knowledge sharing on precision technology:
- Within the local ecosystem of existing customers (most within a 30 km radius)
- More broadly, targeting young farmers through digital channels (website, social media, QR codes, online service requests)
- Demonstrations at farms already using the technology (peer‑to‑peer learning)
- An “Agri‑Connect Festival”: an open day at LOOWA with demonstrations and experience exchange
- Training sessions offered by LOOWA for customers
- Short online information videos to spark interest in precision fertilisation
Their work directly supports SIMONE’s objectives: helping farmers transition to agro‑ecological and data‑driven practices, with attention to user‑friendliness, knowledge sharing and hands‑on experience.
From cross‑visit to concrete action
The SIMONE Cross‑Visit in the Netherlands proved to be a real catalyst. The conversations that took place there evolved into a practical assignment for students and generated new insights for the Living Lab Flanders. It shows the value of cross‑border exchange: ideas are shared, challenges are recognised, and solutions take shape through collaboration between farmers, researchers, advisors and students.