Now Cropping Up: Robo-Farming

www.wsj.com ^ | June 1, 2018 8:00 a.m. ET | By Vibhuti Agarwal

[Red Badger]

Agricultural-equipment makers gear up driverless tractors, combines in quest to produce more food, more sustainably

The bright red, driverless tractor drags the tiller in a perfect line in a south Indian field, makes a turn at the edge of the property, encounters a test dummy and then stalls, not knowing what to do.

India’s Mahindra & Mahindra , one of the biggest suppliers of smaller tractors to the U.S., and other manufacturers are racing to develop what they see as the future of farming: robo-tractors and other farming equipment to help produce more food, more sustainably at a lower cost.

John Deere has tractors and combines on the market that free the driver in the cabin from the actual driving so he or she can monitor the crops and adjust pesticide, water and soil levels. Technology from Agco Corp.’s Fendt lets several driverless tractors follow a lead tractor driven by a human. Japanese firms Kubota and Yanmar are planning to launch driverless tractors that they expect to be popular with elderly farmers.

The next generation is tractors that can drive entirely by themselves. After that: ones that can plant, fertilize and spray pesticides. London-based CNH Industrial is testing a tractor that has no driver’s cabin, with farmers expected to monitor planting and harvesting remotely.

But there are plenty of obstacles.

The global positioning systems and sensors to steer around hindrances or read different kinds of soil and slopes need improvement.

And the industry anticipates pushback from people whose livelihood could be threatened. In India, for instance, hundreds of millions of farmers make up the country’s largest voter group. “We have decided it has to be a gradual process of migrating the farmers,” said Aravind Bharadwaj, chief technology officer for farm equipment at Mahindra.

[Red Badger]

At least they won't crap and pee on your food...............

[Army Air Corps]

“Sorry, Dave, but I cannot harvest the food for you.”

[mplc51]

All fields have low areas where culverts collect the rain water and run it to the ditch. How will that work?

[fieldmarshaldj]

“Open the pea pod doors, HAL.”

=ducking=

[Army Air Corps]

That was so bad, that I chuckled. :)

[gaijin]

Now we need cheap Reapers that home in on and eliminate, eh....SOCCER FANS, shall we say.

[gaijin]

There *IS* NO ATZLAN..!!

[A_Former_Democrat]

Technological innovations and indoor food farms will render lots of these “needed’ immigrants from S. of the border

Meanwhile, the CofC and GOPe weep along with their Dim comrades in arms

[Red Badger]

There are several entrepreneurs developing harvest robots even as we speak......................

[gaijin]

Not fond of spray cans, touching kids, or soccer.

[yesthatjallen]

Faster, safer, cheaper, more efficient, I'm all for it.

I saw a youtube video of a prototype robot that picks fruit from trees.

Fewer 'temp. seasonal workers' becoming illegal permanent residents.

[gaijin]

The farming robots of tomorrow are here TODAY

YouTube, 10 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl77FVobxVI

[C210N]

will render lots of these “needed’ immigrants...

Do you mean 'render' in the "to try out oil from fat, blubber, etc., by melting" sense of the word?

[Red Badger]

Fewer epidemic cases of e. coli.........................

[miniTAX]

“All fields have low areas where culverts collect the rain water and run it to the ditch. How will that work?”

---

Add an exclusion area in the robot’s map.
Tilling, weeding or seeding robots are justified economically in high wages countries (not so much in India). They can be small because they can work all day and night and do the same work as a massive tractor. I’ve seen milking robots, they work great and those who have adopted them won’t get back. One or two weeding robots can be seen here too in our region’s vineyard.

[AustinBill]

Agricultural robotics will be a huge growth industry over the next decade, dramatically increasing crop yields, lowering costs, and improving food quality and safety.

This technology was for many years held back by the ready availability of cheap foreign labor, but even without crackdowns on illegal immigration this shift was inevitable.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

This is much less difficult to do then "driverless" cars.

And I would not trust one in my fields with the current level of technology.

[Bayard]

I predict a huge increase in Blood alcohol levels among farmers that monitor boring robot tractors.

This could increase the cost of liver transplants. Trumps fault.

[Red Badger]

Just imagine the cost savings in insecticides and herbicides. A robot will pull weeds and inspect for insects all day and all night......................

[Red Badger]

The term ‘gentleman farmer’ will make a comeback...............