"Farming revolution to place data centre stage"

Radical change in arable farming means that by 2025 growers are likely to be using digital advice tools, companies will sell complete crop packages, and data will be driving the sector, Bayer said.

But this will mean embracing totally different technology than that is in use today, and big business will need to partner with people to make it happen.

Speaking at Rabobank's F&A Next event at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Bayer's global head of digital farming Tobias Menne said that the agrichemicals giant, which is acquiring Monsanto, was always looking for new sources of data, as well as working with start-ups generating such statistics.

The data would be a critical part of developing a "command centre", he said.

"By 2025 growers will be using a digital advice tool. Selling advice at €5-10 a hectare is not going to be the next big thing."

He believes companies will be able to offer products which "take the complexity out".

This would mean offering growers a package of weed and pest-free crops for a lump sum per hectare, he said.

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