The Future Of Ag Equipment: Let’s Get Small
I’ve been covering precision agriculture and equipment innovation here for the past 13 years, and for virtually all of that time, I’ve watched in awe as literally everything got, bigger, faster, stronger, and theoretically, more efficient. From boom widths to planter rows to horsepower and cubic feet of cab space, more has consistently been better … and really the battle cry for manufacturers in the market.
So, my interest was piqued in recent conversations with smart folks in industry that size has reached the apex, and emerging technology will favor the small and nimble over the “gi-normous” and lumbering.
I actually got a taste of it way back in 2006 at the International Conference on Precision Agriculture. Luncheon speaker Simon Blackmore came gave a fascinating presentation on robotics in ag equipment. (Check out www.unibots.com for more information on Simon’s extensive work.) The scale on these “rigs” he showed in the presentation juxtaposed on the size of the modern corn field appeared akin to a large spider on the side of a house. It was designed to peruse fields autonomously, and using sensors, seek out and destroy, er, spray or physically remove them as they are detected. Lots of smaller robotic machines could be dispatched and manage weeds in fields continuously, theoretically with more precision than a monster rig spraying everything at one pass.
At the time I was thinking, well, that’s certainly interesting, especially on smaller fields in western Europe, but it didn’t seem very practical for us here in the states.
Flash forward to the 2011 Farm Progress Show, and my conversation with Luc van Herle, global marketing manager at Kinze, about the company’s autonomy project. One of the things he told me was that the concept of autonomy is grounded in the belief that future equipment will begin to get smaller to accommodate more automation of planting and harvesting, if not outright autonomy. An unmanned 45-row planter is, frankly, unimaginable (perhaps it is possible in Brazil or Australia, where flat acres of land disappear into the horizon line on many fields). But more, smaller scale rigs
of a yet-to-be-determined optimum size to accommodate autonomy could be the future.
Last week I was at the CropLife America meeting and I had a couple of similar conversations about equipment size … that the industry will settle back to smaller and more manageably sized equipment.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of the equipment you use … is there such a thing as too big? Or do you own the big stuff and can’t live without it? Share your thoughts here with the Network.
Views: 483
Tags: agriculture, autonomy, equipmnent, robotics
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Comment by Paul Schrimpf on September 30, 2011 at 1:59pm -
Member Jim Shelton Emailed me the following, and gave me permission to post it here:
Paul,
I completely understand why many believe automation or autonomy will cause
machines to get smaller and automated.
You spoke about the machine going back and forth across a field identifying
weeds, bugs, or plant disease and applying the correct crop protection product
to control it.
This brought me back to an exhibit that used to exist at the Chicago Science
and Industry Museum back in the 19060's-1980's. This exhibit had large, near
spacecraft looking machines that "hovered" back and forth across the
field doing exactly what your article was discussing. Problem is that we are
late as that display indicated it would be that way over 10-years ago, or at
the turn of the century.
As for smaller equipment and farming? That may be a challenge for Farm
Growers to accept. We all know that as farm size continues to get larger,
so does the demand for even larger equipment. Agree or not, just as some
are very proud of the "color" of their equipment, so are they of the
size of it (you know how guys are..).
Most of today's farms are still Family Farms, with 2 or 3 generations
working the same ground at the same time. This too will slow the adoption
of "Full Automation / Autonomy. There may be Resistance to this
direction as they need to keep their family members, or younger generation
involved and doing something in the farming operations. Plus, many in
farming enjoy, or should I say love operating their farm equipment.
Auto-Steer and planters controls that nearly run the planter is something
Growers enjoy. Taking them out of the cab may be another.
In the very near future I could see the day when a Farm Grower tills the
outside rounds of the field, lines the tractor up for the next round, then gets
in his other tractor with the planter, hits the "go" button on the
tillage tractor, then plant corn in the same field, at the same time.
Additionally, refresh my memory but did California already pass a law about
tractors needing an operator at all time?
As always, lots to talk about Paul.
Take Care,
Jim Shelton
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Comment by Steven Clanton on October 20, 2011 at 8:56pm -
I've thought going back to the JD 4010 tractor size and equipment would be the way things will go eventually. This would also reduce the weight of iron in implements we pull - the wider they are, the more iron is used to beef them up.
A remote/robotic controlled tractor I would argue would not cost much more than an air-conditioned cabbed tractor.
The problem with 1 person watching several is not in the field, but how do you move them effeciently from one field to another? This becomes a liability and state law problem. Give me 4 or 5 tractors in a field and I can get a lot done. But if I have to move them individually between fields - my time gained in field is more than lost in moving.
As an electrical engineer, I always thought I'd like to put robotic/remote control on a tractor. Time and money never seemed to be there though. I did put a pencil to small robots that could weed fields. If I can buy 30 robots that could cover 5.5 acres in 10 days for $250 a piece, I can have cheaper control than with herbicides.
Optical pattern recognition systems are improving - to tell weeds from crops is getting closer.
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