These are the 10 best read articles of 2021

2021 was a tumultuous year in many ways. COVID-19 disrupted society worldwide on many levels. Economies came to a standstill, societies and health care systems faced gigantic challenges.

COVID-19 also made itself felt in agriculture, particularly in the area of labor. Farmers worldwide faced labor shortages due to necessary travel restrictions. Labor, already a vulnerability in agriculture, threatened to become an insurmountable problem due to COVID.

If a bright spot has to be pointed out: precision agriculture can at least partrialy solve the problem of labor shortages. Precision agriculture could make agriculture worldwide less vulnerable to unforeseen, disruptive epidemics like the one we are experiencing now.

Developments in precision agriculture continued at a rapid pace in 2021. We have reported on this in hundreds of news articles, background reports, videos and Expert Opinions over the past year. These were the 10 best-read articles.

1 – Japanese Kubota on takeover path
Japanese company Kubota is on the warpath to become a major supplier of agricultural machinery worldwide.
Read the article here.

2 – The technology that could stop the use of plastic mulch
Australian Research Organisation CSIRO has developed a sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane that can help farmers produce more, while using less water, nutrients and agrochemicals.
Read the article here.

3 – Precision farming on the prairie
Saskatchewan farmer and content creator Mike Mitchell shares his thoughts on what technology fits on his operation, what might need improvement, and the challenges of using complex tools in the remoteness of Canada’s vast prairie landscape.
Read the article here.

4 – Tractor and equipment manufacturers eager to take over tech companies
It appears that agricultural equipment and tractor manufacturers are gearing up to meet increasing demand for electric drive and autonomous systems over the next decade.
Read the article here.

5 – VIDEO: John Deere shows platooning electric robot tractors swarm
John Deere is stepping up its developments and vision on the future of farming with a video of a concept for a platooning swarm of fully electric and autonomous agricultural machines.
Read the article here.

6 – Digital tech helps farmers make money with carbon credits
In order to understand how digital technology will help farmers earn money from sequestering carbon in the soil, we take a look at two new projects in North America.
Read the article here.

7 – The great potential of spot specific tillage (and why it hasn’t been unlocked yet)
Many farmers and growers now routinely target and adjust seed rates and fertiliser applications to match specific soil and crop requirements. But these crops are growing in seedbeds that, most probably, have been cultivated to a uniform depth.
Read the article here.

8 – “Autonomous tractors are the future”
The autonomous farm equipment market will be worth US$ 150 Bn by 2031, according to a report by market research company Fact.MR. We talked to Shambhu Nath Jha, Senior Research Consultant at Fact.MR and lead author of the report, to find out the facts behind the numbers.
Read the article here.

9 –Nearly 40 field robots in new and updated buying guide
What field and harvest robots are commercially available in 2022 and at what price? What can they do and for how long? Our new buying guide with nearly 40 commercially available robots gives the answers to all your questions and more.
Read the article here.

10 – These are the Best Field Robot Concepts of 2021
Vermeer, Horsch and Ripe Robotics won the Best Field Robot Concept Awards 2021. An international expert jury selected their robot concepts from 14 candidates.
Read the article here.