The Farmtopia Sustainable Innovation Pilot 5 (SIP5) demonstrated strong progress in the uptake of digital agriculture solutions during the open day at the Future Farm Day 2026 (Open Day), held on 17 April 2026 in Moravske Toplice.
Led by SIP leader Tomaz Bokan (ITC), the event brought together 186 participants from across the agricultural innovation ecosystem, including farmers, advisors, researchers, SMEs, policymakers, and students, and focused on the practical use of Farmtopia-developed digital agricultural solutions.
Live demonstrations highlight digital farming in practice
Attendees observed:
- Autonomous robotic seeding (including the first maize seeding demonstration in Slovenia)
- Drone-based crop monitoring and field applications
- Precision farming tools integrated into real farm operations
- Digital advisory systems and field management platforms in practice
- Robotics applications supporting arable farming
- AI pest monitoring + soil scanning
These demonstrations were widely identified as the most valuable part of the event, significantly improving clarity around how digital solutions work in real farming conditions.
Validation of tools within Farmtopia: Field Book and My Farm
SIP5 focused on the practical performance of Farmtopia-developed digital agricultural solutions, particularly the Digital Field Book and My Farm module of the Farm Manager application, as decision-support tools for farm management.
Consultations and field discussions confirmed that these tools align with farmer needs in areas such as record-keeping, farm planning, and advisory integration. Participants highlighted their potential to improve traceability, simplify compliance processes, and support day-to-day decision-making.
At the same time, feedback indicated that wider impact depends on improved integration, usability, and stronger advisory support.
Digitalisation in Agriculture: Progress, but Fragmentation Remains
The event confirmed that most participating farmers already use basic digital tools such as weather applications, advisory platforms, and machinery guidance systems. However, their use remains fragmented, and more advanced data-driven systems are not yet widely adopted.
Key barriers identified included limited interoperability between platforms, uneven digital skills, connectivity challenges, and concerns about administrative burden.
Despite these challenges, awareness of digital solutions was high, and farmers clearly recognised their benefits in improving planning, traceability, and operational efficiency. Participants consistently emphasised that successful adoption of digital agricultural tools depends on simplicity, affordability, and clear practical value.
Essential requirements included intuitive interfaces, compatibility with existing machinery, minimal data entry, and availability in local languages. Advisory support and hands-on training were highlighted as critical factors in building trust and confidence, especially among small and medium-sized farms.
Digitalisation in Agriculture: Progress, but Fragmentation Remains
SIP5 aims to improve the existing Farm Manager application used by agricultural advisors and integrate Farmtopia software components into a more advanced decision-support system within the My Farm module.
The goal is to help farmers make better decisions on fertilisation, pesticide use, and harvest planning, using both existing farm data and freely available external data sources.
SIP5 also focuses on reducing environmental impact and improving long-term soil health. To achieve this, it uses different digital technologies, including:
– satellite data (Sentinel Earth Observation) drones (UAVs)
– weather stations and IoT sensors
– soil sensors and soil analysis data
– digital insect traps
Together, these tools support more precise, efficient, and sustainable farm management.