Small robots lighter on soils than heavy tractors
Farmers’ love affair with big tractors could be over if they are to meet tighter environmental goals.
Larger farming machinery would be replaced by more efficient systems relying on emerging technologies, agricultural robotics expert Simon Blackmore said at the International Tri-Conference for Precision Agriculture in Hamilton. The change would be disruptive, but worthwhile because it would make crop production more efficient than it is at the moment, he said.
‘‘If we do that, we have more of a chance of feeding the planet, [have] less environmental impact and make more money.’’
Blackmore is a professor and head of agricultural robotics at the Agri-Epi-Centre and Harper Adams University and is also the director of the National Centre for Precision Farming in the United Kingdom.
While big farm machinery for cropping had increased work rates and reduced per hectare costs, they could not work in smaller fields, which had to be productive if farmers were going to feed the world.
‘‘In my vision of agricultural robots in the future, I do see robots working in smaller fields, smaller farms and less developed areas,’’ said Blackmore.
When a large tractor got stuck in the mud, it was because the machine was inappropriate for the farming conditions. The machinery also had a small working window for the operator because of its size and operating conditions.
‘‘We are caught in this cycle of machines getting bigger and bigger all the time. We cannot change the soil or the weather, but we can change the tractor.’’
He estimated 90 per cent of energy going into cultivation was repairing soil compaction damage caused by machines in the first place. Conceptual robotic seeding machines were being developed that are ultra-light, allowing sowing in almost any weather and second generation drones in the UK to carry out precision spraying, lasering or seeding.
The machines could better target agrichemical use. Instead of banning chemicals such as glyphosate, a better idea would be to ban the machinery that was inefficiently applying the chemical.’’Let’s not ban the chemicals, let’s ban the dumb machines that are applying the chemicals incorrectly, we have the capability to make smart machines.’’