Will these robots ever catch on?

Acceptance of GPS technology in the past decade – just look at its use in cars – has grown to where farmers use this technology, with superb accuracy, to apply fertiliser and sprays. Tractors can now achieve sub-2cm accuracy by using GPS guidance. And they can hugely reduce inputs and outputs, and reduce driver fatigue over long days and difficult conditions, such as poor light or dust.

The industry says around 300,000 tractors will this year be sold equipped with some form of guidance or auto-steer system. As prices keep tumbling it’s predicted this will jump to 660,000 units annually by 2026.

The next stage seems to be unmanned, autonomous tractors, such as the concept units shown by CNH at the recent Farm Progress Show in the US: a full-size tractor, without cab, could cultivate, plant and spray without an operator. It appears now that the jury’s out on whether the preferred choice would be full-size units, or a number of smaller, lighter 50hp units roaming a farm doing repetitive tasks. Interestingly, the technology is now in place but seems to be stymied by draconian regulations and/or lack of trust on the part of potential users.

The next stage is foreshadowed by AGCO-owned Fendt, which suggests a master/slave format, where one tractor with a driver is ‘shadowed’ by a second autonomous unit.

Not long ago, with wearily repetitive work and staff recruitment difficulties mounting, it was mind-boggling to imagine robots milking cows; now it’s a commonplace: cows choose how often they want to be milked and their productivity shows it’s working. The milking robot market is tipped to hit $8.5b by 2026, up from today’s estimate of $1.9b. It’s getting a push from robots that push up feed and remove manure, and by the growing acceptance on the part of livestock farmers once wary of anything without teats.

Meanwhile, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ie drones, gain favour, helped by common sense regulations. And though pizza chain chatter about home deliveries may grab the headlines, the real heft is in drone use by agriculture, getting broader by the month.

Onfarm camera-equipped units can send real-time pictures of life and work in progress – things such as cast sheep and leaking water troughs. They will also produce aerial maps using near-infra-red, or photo-mosaic technology, to inform on crop health, and emerging technology will do targeted spot treatment on problem areas.

The next generation of farmer – or at least one of his staff – will need to be up-to-speed on computer operation and programming, while those of more mature years – who are still out on the farm – will need eyes in the back of our heads and a good set of low-tech ear plugs.