Fully autonomous farm machines still a long way off: Rabobank report

Autonomous machines can boost productivity, precision and have many benefits to the ease of an operation – but a new global report from Rabobank shows that the path to market is expected to be relatively slow.

In its recently published global Agtech in Focus report, the specialist agribusiness bank says although “some ‘robots’ have the same functionality as tractors, we do not expect the conventional tractor to be replaced anytime soon”.

“The global machinery industry is currently focusing on innovating specific stages of the crop production cycle and gradually developing autonomous capabilities across field operations,” according to the report, by the bank’s RaboResearch arm.

Automation in farming is improving both productivity and sustainability in farming, RaboResearch said, “allowing for faster, more precise operations with reduced resource consumption, including water, fertilisers, crop protection, and energy”.

“This shift not only bolsters operational efficiency but also enhances the sustainability of farming practices. Autonomous machines, capable of operating without human operators or on-site supervisors, are set to alleviate the burden of labour shortages and improve working conditions on farms.”

RaboResearch Nethlerlands-based farm inputs analyst Doriana Milenkova said many farmers use autosteering system support to cultivate significant crop areas, but this is 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. Several stages of technological developments must be completed before full autonomy is achieved (if ever).

Widespread adoption

While the benefits of autonomous machines are substantial for both farmers and society, their widespread adoption will not occur overnight, the report said, with farmers requiring measurable evidence of the advantages these machines offered.

"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. Incremental advancements of autonomous features for each field task are paving the way for their market acceptance.

And despite the transformative potential of autonomous machinery, adoption is also tempered by uncertainty about safety regulations, the report sids.

Companies are tasked with demonstrating the safety of their designs and usage before they can be widely implemented.

Australia

These global trends are 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.”