EkoNiva Group, the largest raw-milk producer in Russia, continues to improve its in-house developed software. The new version of the EkoCrop 2.0 programme has an upgraded web-interface and integration with the 1C: Agricultural Enterprise Management database (1C AEM).

During the year, specialists of the agricultural holding worked on automation of data transfer from the EkoCrop programme to the 1C database. The developers also faced the task of ensuring quality control of the transferred information. To achieve the goals, the service logic was reworked, and some processes were completely changed. As a result of integration, agronomists have access to automatic switching of crops, seasons, areas and related information in 1C AEM.

For example, earlier, employees had to enter data into EkoCrop, then log into 1C and enter dates and change the season again. The process of switching from one season to another in the system is complex — it is necessary to consider the change of the season and correctly transfer the changes that were accumulated within the planning of the cultivated area. In addition, time restrictions on the transfer of information from one system to another had to be taken into account. Today, finally all the updates have been made and the bugs have been fixed.

Now, an agronomist only needs to update the information in EkoCrop, and the completed data is automatically transferred to 1C, the season is closed, and the required reporting is generated. This simplifies work for specialists and minimises the number of errors.

Also, in the updated EkoCrop 2.0 programme, the web-interface has been significantly improved, it has become 90% identical to the mobile version, and the process of working with the collected data has been simplified.

Future plans for 2024 include the development of full integration, in particular the automatic inventory write-off. The specialists have also launched a project to optimise cropping patterns and will continue implementing it next year.

‘The algorithm under development will help calculate which crops to sow in which season to maximise profits. This will make it possible to plan for several seasons ahead. Despite the automation of the process, the Chief Agronomist has the last word on whether to make adjustments based on his expertise. The robot will simplify the work of specialists during the planning of the cultivated area’, says Andrey Beryulyayev, Head of Digitalisation at EkoNiva-APK Holding.

EkoCrop is a top-class domestic IT solution developed by EkoNiva’s specialists. It contains the latest data on all the fields of the Group in different regions, the operations carried out on them, the employees involved and the units of machinery. The software helps optimise and plan the use of equipment on each field, monitor the efficiency of work, and calculate the output of each machine.