“The story of our program today began in April at the 2023 Életút Festival, where the Életút Lab provided a space for presenting research, innovations, and projects within the Foundation. The team from AMÖR, which developed an innovative automatic irrigation system powered by renewable energy, received an invitation to visit the KITE Innovation Center in Nádudvar. We gladly accepted this invitation on June 14, 2023, accompanied by our colleagues and mentors from Jászberény, and our small team was led by Dr. Miklós Radoszáv, the Chief Operating Officer. After the warm hospitality, we presented our project to the experts and then attended a lecture on KITE’s innovations and developments. We learned about the methods they use to simplify, expedite, and increase the efficiency of agricultural work. They showed us their PrecMet program, where we could see the numerous weather stations they have installed and the various measurements they take, including air temperature, air pressure, humidity, and 24-hour precipitation. We learned a lot throughout the day, but for me, the highlight was the tractor equipped with automatic steering, which we had the opportunity to try out.” Ferenc Horváth, Jászság Group 3.
“Following the discussion, we went out to a large area where many interesting things awaited us, including three different-sized drones, a large sprayer, a terrain surveyor, and a smaller terrain inspector. It was very exciting because we never thought that being a farmer could be such an exciting and modern thing. We sat in a large John Deere tractor and learned many interesting facts, such as the fact that such a tractor can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h and can even operate fully autonomously after programming, continuously monitoring everything. It’s also interesting that these tractors already have air conditioning, comfortable massaging seats, and the one we were in had three displays: one for the sprayer, one for the plow, and one for the tractor itself, which provided numerous functions. “Thank you for this informative day!” – Kristóf Kaszab, Jászság Group 3.
“After a delicious lunch, our last stop on the excursion was the demonstration garden in Derecske. Here, we saw KITE’s special experimental greenhouses, where we witnessed many interesting methods and techniques used in modern vegetable cultivation. We observed how they operate, the innovations they employ, and the tools they use for this purpose. In addition to the greenhouses, we also visited an orchard where various types of apples are grown. We learned about the pesticides they use, how they take care of the orchard, and how they protect against frost. Afterward, we visited the control center of the irrigation system located there, which was particularly interesting to us since our own project deals with a similar topic. We were truly amazed by the capabilities of the system and the sensors and measuring devices that ensure smooth operation. Finally, we presented our irrigation system to the interested attendees. We bid farewell to the expert guides, whom we are grateful to for enthusiastically presenting their work to us.” – Márk Szücs, Jászság Group 3.
We would like to express our gratitude to Levente Szabó, CEO of KITE Zrt., and László Hadászi, Director of Innovation, as well as their colleagues: Zsuzsanna Györfi, Strategic Director; Gábor Mészáros, Director of System Development; and István Sojnóczki, Director of Technological Development, along with all the assisting staff. We thank them for the wealth of interesting information and the kind!