Friday, 21 January 2022 07:25

Yamaha invests in hort hi-tech

Written by  Mark Daniel
Yamaha Corporation has recently invested in Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT), a Californian company that is active in robotics. Yamaha Corporation has recently invested in Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT), a Californian company that is active in robotics.

Yamaha is made up of two separate companies - Yamaha Corporation, famed for musical and electronic products, and the Yamaha Motor Company, which started producing motorcycles in 1954.

The larger corporation first became involved in robotics in 1981, generally with machines to automate production lines. After a hesitant start, this developed into large numbers during the mid '80s.

Looking to use its expertise and experience in the agricultural sector, Yamaha Corporation has recently invested in Advanced Farm Technologies (AFT), a Californian company that is active in robotics. It has developed machines for harvesting soft fruit in the field, including an automated strawberry harvester that straddles the raised beds where the crop is grown.

Interestingly, AFT's recent round of fundraising also saw Japanese company Kubota investing in the business. This investment - alongside other dedicated venture capitalist concerns - raised around €25 million to further develop its soft fruit harvesting systems.

Meanwhile, the Yamaha Motor Company is undertaking a joint development programme with a software company called 'The Yield'.

This company primarily deals with data collection, then the management and presentation of information in a format designed to aid the running of vineyards.

This new R&D project partners the companies with global premium wine company, Treasury Wine Estates, to help optimise yield prediction in wine grapes and to improve autonomous crop spraying by using robots.

Meanwhile, bringing automation ATVs, including managing their deployment, would be a logical next step for YMC.

YMC also developed a remote-controlled helicopter in the 1980s, at the request of the Japanese government, to make the spraying of rice crops safer and more efficient. Today, it boasts that one third of the rice for the Japanese domestic market is treated by its aerial platform.

Closer to home, YMC has invested $10 million in Robotics Plus, a New Zealand company that produces post-harvest robotics for fruit packing, orchard robotics for harvesting and pollination, and autonomous agricultural vehicles.

More like this

New F5 balers from McHale

Irish grassland machinery manufacturer McHale has unveiled the new four-model range of F5 fixed chamber balers.

Got $1.5m for a bit of spraying?

While we are seeing more and more drones being used in New Zealand agriculture, we’re some way behind the US, where in places like the Midwest, the drones are certainly bigger than Texas.

NH unveils specialty tractor

New Holland recently showcased its new-generation T4.120 F specialty tractor, giving New Zealand customers a closer look at the winner of The Best of Specialised title at the International Tractor of the Year Awards 2023.

Quick, accurate access to data

Agri-tech company Precision Farming is linking with John Deere’s Operations Centre guidance technology to automate nutrient and spray record-keeping and Nitrogen Cap compliance for farmers.

Featured

Help for flood-stricken farmers

Multiple agencies are working to help farmers in Otago hit by the recent floods and Southland farmers who have faced many months of adverse weather.

Shift in farm sales, prices

Farm sales are on the rise. According to recent data from the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ), there was an 18.9% increase in farm sales for the three months ending August 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

National

Scanning data at your fingertips

A partnership between two technology companies in Hawke's Bay is making orchard data more easily accessible to growers using new…

Big future for hort

The horticulture sector is punching above its weight when it comes to export revenue, according to Westpac industry analyst Paul…

Machinery & Products

NH unveils specialty tractor

New Holland recently showcased its new-generation T4.120 F specialty tractor, giving New Zealand customers a closer look at the winner…

Combining track and tyre

While the last fifty years has seen massive evolution and development of the humble tractor tyre, the last two decades…

Croplands goes nuts with Nelson

Croplands and Nelson Manufacturing Company Inc, a California-based manufacturer of air-blast sprayers, has announced a new distribution partnership to deliver…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Trump tariffs

OPINION: Former politicians seem incapable of staying away from the limelight after they retire.

Air Miles

OPINION: The latest travel receipts for MPs are in (April – June 2024).

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter