Autonomy big factor in farming efficiency equation

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This article was published 27/07/2024 (506 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bigger has traditionally been equated with better when it comes to farming efficiency and there was no shortage of that philosophy in play at the recent Ag in Motion event near Saskatoon.

On display were tractors and combines with more horsepower, wider tillage implements, air seeder carts with the capacity to cover more acres between refills and massive in-field grain storage bins that allow those bigger combines to empty their loads and keep chewing through the crop while the grain is hauled from field to bin using smaller units.

To a large degree, one feeds into another. As farmers acquire more acres, they can justify a bigger tractor, which can haul bigger equipment, which increases the amount of grain produced, transported and stored.

However, there is a new type of efficiency on the horizon that could shift efficiency focus away from size and scale.

“That’s where autonomy comes in — as the efficiency of the future,” says Scott Garvey, Glacier FarmMedia’s senior editor for machinery and equipment.

He recently returned from a major manufacturer’s innovation demo day in Kansas with a different perspective on how such technology could influence the farming efficiency equation.

While early manifestations of autonomous agriculture were predicated on replacing the tractor altogether, “Now, most of the effort is directed towards conversion kits for existing tractors,” he said. This maintains the tractor’s traditional utility while expanding its capabilities.

While still in the testing phase, the autonomous conversion capacity promises to reduce operating costs, resulting in a near-term return on investment on small farms, as well as large ones.

Not surprisingly, these units potentially reduce labour costs. Plus, because they can operate continuously, research is showing they can run at reduced intensity, which adds up to fuel savings and less wear and tear on equipment.

Coupled with digital tools, such as mapping and variable-rate fertilizer application based on what the soil needs in specific zones, future field equipment could be smaller but more efficient.

“They can run 24-7 and you can have more than one,” Garvey says.

Of course, an autonomous unit may be able to run non-stop, but muddy fields or weather conditions could still put a crimp in that.

Although in-field autonomy is getting closer to being a commercial reality, it’s still likely to require human supervision and operators to move it from field to field. Plus, getting the digital supports and precision applications into place is still a work in progress.

For these systems to work effectively, they must be capable of communicating and working with others.

It’s become clear over the past few years this doesn’t just happen organically, as with previous technological advancements.

A farmer can buy a new tractor and put it to work immediately knowing what impact it will have on the farm’s spreadsheet. They can incorporate a new seed variety into their crop rotation with reasonable assurances as to how well it will perform.

But integrating digital systems involving sensors, probes and programs into their operation is an upfront investment that might give them lots of information they didn’t have before, but which may not yield an immediate return on investment.

It will take the industry’s ingenuity, farmers willing to experiment and governments as supporting incubators to turn the potential rewards into tangible outcomes. It’s not cheap.

That’s why this week’s announcement the federal and Manitoba provincial governments will put just over $2 million over the next five years into Innovation Farms near Grosse Isle to support testing and demonstration of new precision tools on a commercial grain farm is an important step forward on the adoption curve.

Innovation Farms is operated by Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI), a Manitoba-based non-profit focused on accelerating the advancement of digital agriculture.

The need is real. The technology is out there. What’s needed now is a way to synchronize all the moving parts into a smoothly running system that can be tailored to each farm’s needs.

Laura Rance is executive editor, production content lead for Glacier FarmMedia. She can be reached at lrance@farmmedia.com