From Precision to Intelligence
Moving beyond measurement to give growers the ability to understand, decide, and build more resilient farms
By Roger Tripathi, Editor-in-Chief, BAW Digest, Founder & CEO, GBL and GBI
This issue of BAW Digest focuses on Critical Success Factors for biological agri-inputs. Agriculture is entering a defining era where the convergence of biological science and advanced technologies is reshaping global food production. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, microbiome science, genomics, remote sensing, drones, robotics and precision agriculture are accelerating the discovery, validation and field performance of biological solutions, while giving growers new ways to understand variability, optimize resources and respond to increasingly complex production conditions.
Precision agriculture is no longer an emerging concept. It is becoming part of modern farming systems, although adoption varies considerably by technology, farm size and production system. In the European Union, around 18% of farms covered by the relevant 2023 survey used some form of precision farming technology or practice, representing approximately 44% of the utilized agricultural area. In the United States, guidance and autosteering systems were used by 52% of midsize crop-producing farms and 70% of large-scale crop-producing farms in 2023.
The message is clear: precision technologies have moved beyond experimentation. The more important question now is what comes next.
Regulation, collaboration and trust will determine how quickly this transformation progresses. Biological technologies need regulatory frameworks that maintain scientific rigor while recognizing their particular characteristics, while digital agriculture requires greater attention to data governance, interoperability, security and ownership. These challenges require collaboration between innovators, farmers, agronomists, researchers, regulators, investors, technology providers and industry leaders.
The discussions by Karel Bolckmans and José Carvalho in this edition highlight the importance of regulatory systems that maintain scientific rigor while recognizing the specific characteristics of biological technologies. José Carvalho argues for a clear legal definition of biocontrol and a dedicated, predictable pathway adapted to biological products. The objective should not be weaker regulation, but smarter regulation that keeps pace with innovation and ensures that biocontrols are not left behind.
The EU Omnibus debate should not become a choice between chemicals and biological solutions. Some of our scientist and NGO colleagues argue that chemicals should not get a free ride, while the crop protection industry and farmers want access to chemical tools to grow crops successfully.
Both chemical and biological tools have a role to play in modern agriculture. Biocontrols deserve greater attention as part of integrated crop management. They are not yet embedded in conventional crop-production practices to the same extent as traditional inputs, so farmers and agronomists need greater knowledge and education to support adoption. This will take time, but that should not be interpreted as evidence that biocontrols do not work. Alternative solutions are already available. We need to resource and fast-track their registration so that appropriately evaluated products can reach farmers more quickly. We are not taking sides or negating anyone’s position. Amid all the noise, let’s not forget an important part of the solution: biocontrols.
FROM PRECISION TO INTELLIGENCE
For decades, the agricultural industry has focused on increasing productivity through genetics, chemistry, mechanization, irrigation and improved agronomic practices. Precision agriculture introduced another important dimension: the ability to see and manage variability within the field.
We can now measure soil moisture, crop vigour, nutrient status, weather conditions, yield variability and pest pressure with unprecedented detail. But measurement alone does not create value. A satellite image can show that one part of a field is under stress; a sensor can show declining soil moisture; a drone can identify differences in crop development. The more important question is why that variation exists and what should be done about it.
Is the crop responding to water, nutrients, disease, compaction, soil structure, pest pressure or several factors together? Should the grower intervene, and if so, where, when and at what level?
This is where Precision AgTech is entering its next phase. The opportunity is no longer simply to measure variability, but to interpret it, predict what may happen next and prescribe the most appropriate response: from measurement to interpretation, prediction, prescription and, ultimately, learning. A truly intelligent farming system should learn from what happened yesterday, last season or across thousands of fields and use that knowledge to improve the next decision. That, in my view, is the real meaning of moving from precision to intelligence.
This becomes particularly important in biological agriculture. Biological solutions operate within living systems, and their performance can be influenced by soil conditions, temperature, moisture, crop stage, microbial communities, formulation, application method, timing and interactions with other agronomic practices.
We need to move beyond asking simply whether a biological product works. We need to understand where, when and why it works, under which conditions it performs consistently & how it contributes to the economics of the farming system.
Precision technologies can provide this context. Soil and environmental data can identify conditions linked to biological performance; remote sensing can identify areas needing attention; weather intelligence can improve timing; precision equipment can improve placement; and field data can validate outcomes across seasons and geographies.
The opportunity is not to make biological products more technological, but to make their use more predictable, measurable and relevant to the farmer.
THE DATA CHALLENGE
Agriculture already has enormous amounts of information generated by satellites, sensors, machinery, weather platforms, laboratory diagnostics, farm-management software and digital advisory systems. The challenge is connecting these sources and turning them into useful decisions. Digital agriculture will only deliver its full potential if technologies work together rather than as isolated systems. Farmers should not have to move between multiple platforms simply to understand what is happening in one field. Interoperability is becoming as important as innovation.
Data generated by machinery should contribute to agronomic decisions. Soil information should be considered alongside weather and crop data. Biological product performance should be connected with the environmental and management conditions under which it was observed.
The objective is not a farm with the largest collection of digital tools, but a farming system in which the right information reaches the right decision at the right time.
The farmer’s questions remain straightforward. Does this improve yield? Reduce risk? Improve resource efficiency? Save time or input costs? Improve soil health? Help manage climate variability? Most importantly, does it make economic sense? These questions should remain the ultimate test of Precision AgTech.
Technology availability does not automatically mean adoption, and adoption does not automatically mean impact. Cost, connectivity, technical knowledge, farm size, infrastructure and access to support determine whether technology becomes useful in practice.
In Brazil, an Embrapa survey of 504 farmers found that 84% already used at least one digital technology. Acquisition costs and connectivity were among the main challenges, while 95% said they wanted to learn more about new technologies. The opportunity is not simply to develop better technology, but to make it understandable, accessible and relevant to different farming systems.
TECHNOLOGY MUST SERVE THE FARMER
As agriculture becomes more technologically sophisticated, we should not confuse technological complexity with agricultural progress. A farm with more sensors or more data is not necessarily making better decisions.
The value of technology lies in making farmer decisions clearer, faster and more effective. The farmer should experience the benefit: a better-timed intervention, accurate application, earlier warning, clearer understanding of crop or soil conditions, lower resource use or stronger economic return.
The future of Precision AgTech cannot be built only around large, highly mechanised farms. It must also work within fragmented production systems, different levels of connectivity and technical capability, and very different economic realities. Precision agriculture will have its greatest impact when adapted to the farming system rather than forcing every farming system to adapt to the technology.
There is also a human dimension. The future farm may have satellites above it, sensors beneath the soil, connected machinery and artificial intelligence processing enormous volumes of information, but there will still be a farmer who understands the land and an agronomist who understands the crop.
Technology can identify patterns humans may not easily see, while farmers bring experience, context and practical knowledge that cannot simply be replaced by an algorithm. The strongest agricultural systems will combine biological intelligence, digital intelligence and human intelligence.
INNOVATION MUST MOVE FROM PROMISE TO PROOF
Agricultural innovation needs to become more focused on outcomes. Scientific novelty matters. New biological mechanisms, Al models, sensors, machines and digital platforms matter. But agriculture ultimately tests innovation in the field. Can it be implemented? Can it integrate with existing practices? Can it scale? Can it perform consistently? Can it reduce risk or resource use? Can it improve productivity or quality? Can we demonstrate the value it creates for farmers?
As Innovation Paper Abstract Submissions for the Global BioAgTech Pioneering Innovation Presentation & Award 2027 are now open, we invite the global scientific and innovation community to showcase breakthroughs shaping agriculture’s next generation. We seek innovations demonstrating how biological science, Al, precision farming, digital technologies and other emerging technologies can work together to address real agricultural challenges. True innovation should not be defined only by scientific excellence or technological novelty, but by its ability to bridge disciplines, accelerate adoption and create scalable, sustainable impact at the farmer level.
The innovations we recognise should demonstrate tangible value for farmers and the wider agricultural ecosystem.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURE
Perhaps this is ultimately what “From Precision to Intelligence” means. Precision agriculture has given us better ways to see and measure what is happening in the field. Digital technologies connect information. Artificial intelligence helps interpret complex patterns, while biological science gives us new ways to work with living systems.
The next step is to connect these capabilities so that information becomes understanding, understanding becomes better decisions, and better decisions translate into measurable outcomes. The future of agriculture should not be measured by how many sensors we install, drones we deploy or how much data we generate. It should be measured by healthier soils, more resilient crops, more efficient use of resources, stronger farm economics and greater confidence for the people who produce our food.
Ultimately, it should create lasting value for farmers and future generations.
The technology is here. The biology is advancing. The data is growing. Our responsibility now is to connect them and ensure that the farmer remains at the center of it and regulatory frameworks support faster access.
BioAg World Digest | Summer 2026
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