Autonomous machines are a potential game changer in crop farming, boosting productivity, precision and ease of operations, but the path to market is expected to be a relatively slow one, according to a global Rabobank report.
In its recently-published global Agtech in Focus report, the specialist agribusiness bank said although “some ‘robots’ have the same functionality as tractors, we do not expect the conventional tractor to be replaced anytime soon”.
The report found “the global machinery industry is currently focusing on innovating specific stages of the crop production cycle and gradually developing autonomous capabilities across field operations”.
Automation in farming is improving both productivity and sustainability in farming, which according to the report would allow for faster and more precise operations, with less overall consumption.
It was expected this would bolster efficiency and sustainability, alleviate the burden of labour shortages and improve working conditions on farms.
RaboResearch Nethlerlands-based farm inputs analyst Doriana Milenkova said many farmers used autosteering system support to cultivate significant crop areas, but this was only the first step toward autonomous machines.
“These machines must be capable of stand-alone diagnosis, decision-making, or task performance in changing environments, without a human operator or on-site supervisor,” she said.
While the benefits of autonomous machines would be substantial for farmers and society, their widespread adoption would not occur overnight, the report said, with farmers requiring measurable evidence of the advantages these machines offer.
“Autonomous machines must outperform their conventional counterparts in tasks such as tilling, sowing, plant treatment and crop harvesting to justify the investment. Building understanding and market acceptance among potential users will take time,” Ms Milenkova said.
Despite the transformative potential of autonomous machinery, adoption was expected to be tempered by uncertainty about safety regulations, the report said.
Companies were tasked with demonstrating the safety of their designs and usage before they can be widely implemented.
These global trends were also being played out locally, according to RaboResearch’s Australian ag tech analyst Vitor Pistoia.
“Australia is a nation known to be early adopters of technology and this is no different in the ag tech space where our innovative farmers, supported by the large scale of their farms and paddocks, are well-advanced users of technology in their farm machinery which helps to increase efficiency, lower the use of farm inputs, save costs and simplify tasks for operators,” he said.
“Australia is an important market for most global farm machinery companies and new technology releases or even trials of technology are taking place on Australian farms.
“Those technologies range from traditional machinery that is enhanced by technology like sensors all the way to more recently-introduced innovative technologies, like drones and the use of artificial intelligence, to help convert a vast amount of data collected on farm into insights for the operator or for use by the machine itself for innovative weed control.”
