April 19 is a big celebration for all virtual farmers. Precision Farming, the free DLC (downloadable content) to the world-popular Farming Simulator 22, has its premiere today! The DLC development was supported by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Farming Simulator is a simulation game created by the Swiss company Giants Software. It is one of the most advanced and popular simulators in the world, which allows players to learn all the secrets of farming. Its creators – Stefan Geiger and Christian Ammann – grew up in the countryside, so they know the life of a farmer inside out. One day, they decided to create a game that recreates the life of a farmer, simulating all of its most important aspects – from operating machinery through managing the soil to running the farm.
Precision Farming – What is it?
Precision Farming was first introduced in Farming Simulator 19. The free DLC has been downloaded over a million times worldwide. Precision farming is a solution that allows us to run a farm based on collecting and processing various data obtained, among others, thanks to satellite technologies. These allow us to better control the costs of fertilizers, seeds, and plant protection products.
Until recently, only the biggest growers could use such solutions, today this technology is available to everyone.
Precision Farming was introduced to Farming Simulator by John Deere as part of the „Precision Farming” project funded by EIT Food, Europe’s leading food innovation initiative. It focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture and draws attention to the urgency of reducing the human impact on the environment.
– People who live in large metropolitan areas may not know much about modern agricultural technology or how food gets to grocery stores and their tables. Our project aims to promote knowledge about smart agricultural solutions and sustainable food production practices, especially among people who encounter agriculture only virtually,” says Tomasz Jeliński, chief specialist at the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, a research institute engaged in the creation of the Precision Farming DLC.
Precision Farming 22
In the first edition of the Precision Farming DLC, the basis of gameplay was fertilization and planning of field treatments. The obtained soil parameters facilitated the allocation of appropriate amounts of fertilizers and doses of liming. This equates to savings, crucial both in the game and on a real farm.
– We communicate the product especially towards young farmers to familiarize them with the latest technologies, including precision farming, commonly regarded as an expensive technique – says Tomasz Jeliński.
Two years after the premiere, a new version of Precision Farming is released, which is a free DLC to Farming Simulator 22.
In this edition of the DLC, the player can experience all advantages of precision farming. The DLC allows for variable seeding rates, weed control with spot spraying, and variable fertilizer rates using crop sensors, among other things. If players can’t or don’t want to put time into soil sampling themselves, they can purchase soil maps directly from a service provider. New to Farming Simulator 22 is an environmental score that allows you to optimize the impact of your crops on the external environment.
It’s not just a game!
A huge community has grown up around Farming Simulator 22, exchanging insights in online forums and competing in esports matches.
The Precision Farming DLC for Farming Simulator 22 is free to download on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles starting April 19.
The Precision Farming project is an international initiative of agricultural experts, food technologists, scientists, innovators, and game designers from John Deere, Giants Software, University of Hohenheim, University of Reading, Grupo AN (Spain’s largest grain cooperative), and the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
EIT Food is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
