Gedas Špakauskas studied transportation science at Gediminas Technical University in the capital of Vilnius – and it’s serving him well in the pursuit of building smarter farming systems and a business fit for the future. Computers and computer science have always fascinated me, but I decided to take a different path, says Gedas. “I’m now in my seventh year of farming.”
His interest in technology hasn’t gone anywhere and he’s applied his knowledge and curiosity to the digitalisation of his farm business as part of his ambition to build a sustainable arable operation that is fit for the future. “I have a very young family, and while I don’t want to push them into a profession, I do want to make sure that if they want to go into farming then they are able to take over a modern, productive enterprise,” he adds.
Detailed information with the John Deere Operations Center
Taking over the family farm six years ago after his father passed away, he has grown the farm in Degučiai, part of the Pakruoj district of Lithuania, from 150ha to 280ha, using a combination of practical and technological decisions and principles. The 280ha is a mixture of owned and leased land; in its entirety it comprises 30 separate parcels of land. Given the rising lease prices, he aims to buy as much land as possible in order to secure the long-term future.


Using the John Deere Operations Center, Gedas has total control of his enterprise; recording and reviewing farm generated data – all from his computer or mobile phone. “I haven’t used a notebook for a long time and I can’t imagine recording so much information by hand,” he remarks. “I can look at a field on the mobile application and I can see what work has been done; when it was sprayed or fertilised, I can identify errors made either by myself or others; correct them and analyse the data.”
Gedas’ fleet of tractors and implements are kitted out with John Deere’s precision ag technology with ISOBUS section control. Allowing, for example, automatic steering and application of fertiliser, which is applied according to each field’s specific fertiliser map, drawn up on the basis of inputted soil analysis. In the field, his fleet also records relevant information like travel speed. “When someone asks me about fertiliser application rates, I never answer with approximates and instead I can give precise information,” he adds.
Characteristics of sustainable management by Gedas Špakauskas
- Year-round plant cover protects the soil from erosion and excessive sunlight
- Targeted fertilisation is the basis for the nutrient balance in the soil and reduces the discharge of excess fertiliser into the environment
- Targeted use of plant protection chemicals means that fewer chemicals are released into the environment
- Precise, satellite-assisted automatic steering prevents overlapping during field work, saves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions
- 4% of the farm area serves as fallow land. In spring, plant mixtures are sown that produce a lot of green mass and also loosen the soil in deeper layers. The nutrients from the plants are later returned to the soil. These areas are particularly attractive to birds
- Cultivation of catch crops after harvesting the main crop in the fall
- No cultivation at a distance of less than 3 m from watercourses and streams
- Annual crop rotation, legumes are grown on 10% of the area, which naturally supply the soil with nitrogen.
Gedas feels that investment in precision technology is worthwhile. He advocates for farmers to consider equipping tractors with satellite-assisted automatic steering and to purchase intelligent implements, like seed drills, fertiliser spreaders and sprayers with part-width section control, to not only better manage input applications but also for the continuous collection of information on field work, application rates and yield data.
Getting started is easy
Edvinas Navickas, head of precision farming at DOJUS-agro – John Deere’s Lithuanian distribution partner – describes precision farming as a simplified system which removes a lot of the guess work and increases efficiency and data accuracy. “The farmer creates a field job digitally in the programme and sends it to the machine, for example, fertilising a field according to a variable prescription map,” explains Edvinas. “When the tractor approaches the intended field, the operator only has to confirm on the operating monitor that work is to begin.

“The fields are cultivated, sown, fertilised and sprayed according to variable prescription maps. The harvesting machines, which are also connected to the Operations Center, record the harvest quantities, which then provide the basis for yield maps,” Edvinas continues.
“All work and its quality parameters are documented and stored so that it can later be analysed by the farmer.” The application of a full precision system means that machines know which lanes they are travelling on and how the implements need to be set. “The operator’s task is to ensure that no warning light comes on, that the nozzles are not blocked and that there is always enough seeds, fertiliser and crop protection chemicals – it really simplifies the systems and helps reduce operator error.”
To date, DOJUS has sold or retrofitted around 4,500 self-propelled machines with the satellite-supported automatic guidance system. “Approximately 2,000 of them are connected to the Operations Center. Every minute they send around 800 data records, i.e. information of all kinds, which can even be used to assess the technical condition of the machines themselves and predict a possible failure,” says Edvinas. “Sometimes farmers are surprised when our service vehicle comes to the farm or field during operations because we find out before the operator that a repair is needed.”
Direct seeding requires precision
High precision systems are particularly beneficial for no-till farms. “No-till and precision farming go hand in hand,” says Edvinas. “In conventional farming, a tractor will typically pass a field eight to nine times during a season, while no-till farmers typically have a much lower pass rate.

“If conventional farmers make a mistake, they can often correct it later. No-till farmers usually do not have this option. Non-crop farming requires special precision every time, every work step has to be very well planned, thought through and executed. “No human on a tractor can do it as accurately as a satellite-controlled machine.”
Gedas is one such farmer who chooses not to plough. In his opinion, the most important thing is to sow quality – looking at both seed quality and how the seed is sown. “Seeds must be of good quality to achieve good germination and sowing must be done accurately as well; seed rate and sowing depth and time.”

No human on a tractor can do it as accurately as a satellite-controlled machine.
Gedas Špakauskas, farmer
Before sowing, the germination capacity of the seeds is tested in the laboratory. “If you make crucial mistakes when sowing, no measures or even the most favorable weather will help,” stresses Gedas. “Another important point is correct and precise fertilisation. The soil may have enough of everything, but a certain balance of nutrients is also required for good plant growth.”
What needs to be fertilised also depends on the time of year, for example, potassium is needed in spring when active vegetation begins, while phosphorus is often required in the autumn. As well as soil testing, he also uses fresh leaf analysis to determine his nutrient fertiliser applications, with results available around five days after sending his samples.
Precision farming and the Green Deal
Edvinas also sees a close connection between the EU’s Green Deal policy and precision farming. Automatic guidance alone saves around 10% on fuel, time, fertiliser, seeds and crop protection chemicals, according to Edvinas, adding that “only as much material is applied to the soil as is necessary for the plants and the desired yield.”

The gradual implementation of new technologies in the Operations Centre has resulted in a standardised system; combing many automated functions and managing all the necessary operating data. Farmers can download, free of charge, the software to their smart phone or access it online using any browser, and can see what’s happening on the farm in real time.
“It’s not absolutely necessary to buy our machines in order to use this programme,” explains Edvinas. “We can also provide individual system elements, for example the StarFire receiver, the guidance system and the operating monitor can be installed in any tractor. “In this way, it becomes part of the system that enables precision farming and the associated benefits.”
The idea of sustainable agriculture
The protection of nature and the environment is promoted by both Lithuanian and EU agricultural policy. Financial support is provided on the basis of certain rules which favours farms that practice sustainable agriculture. Gedas admits that he has made his business sustainable because it pays off for him. “I work within the rules. Like others, I’m motivated by the financial gains – but not all measures pay off,” he says.
“So I look for ideas on how I can run my business sustainably with nature in mind. I experiment a lot, and look for the best solutions; exchanging ideas and knowledge with other farmers and people in the industry. “Those of us who farm the land cannot just stand by and watch, we need to make changes towards sustainability.”
According to Edvinas Navickas, a generational change is currently taking place among farmers in Lithuania. “The older generation generally doesn’t make the switch to new, digital technologies,” says Edvina.“However, older farmers do encourage their children to take an interest and gradually take the reins themselves. Young people are willing to digitise their farms and make the most of intelligent management programmes – which is a positive move for farming.”