Photo | Mix of tech and steel at World Ag Expo 2024
The agricultural fair World Ag Expo takes place annually in Tulare, in the U.S. state of California. The region between Los Angeles in the south and Sacramento in the north is known for its large-scale vegetable and fruit cultivation. The tech hub Silicon Valley is just around the corner, and that is evident in the atmosphere at the fair where many start-ups showcase their robots. The interest in autonomous vehicles in California is particularly high due to a chronic shortage of labor and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
Tom Boe and his wife Joedy are the owners of Amos in Cedar Falls, Iowa. In just four years, the young company has developed an autonomous electric-powered tractor that is now operational in practice. What’s remarkable is that the compact tractor has three independent electric motors, for both wheels and for the power take-off.
Over 32 hectares of the fairgrounds are filled with metal from 1,200 exhibitors. The three-day World Ag Expo 2024 can expect around 110,000 visitors.
Let’s reset for the demo. The Burro is a small autonomous vehicle with a payload capacity of 680 kilograms. It’s designed for fruit farming. Burro has sold 400 autonomous transport vehicles so far. The Burro Grande costs $70,000.
A playground for robots. At Farm-NG, visitors can play with robots themselves. There is a control unit where autonomous vehicles can be remotely given tasks.
For farmers, by farmers. Tim Bucher, CEO of Agtonomy, has set up his own farm as a testing center. The company develops software that gives existing traditional tractors autonomous capabilities. According to Bucher, the company is soon to announce a major collaboration. The latest addition is built based on a small Bobcat AT450 articulated tractor.
Rent, don’t buy. Joseph Miller from Pacific AG Rentals showcases a collection of heavy-duty tractors that are part of the rental fleet. According to Miller, the demand for rental tractors has exploded in recent years. Part of this is due to tax regulations in California. However, many companies also choose not to invest in an expensive tractor that they cannot always effectively utilize throughout the year. Renting a John Deere 9RX costs $15,000 per month, while the black Challenger costs just under $12,000.
The 500-plus horsepower class is a necessity. The Optimizer is a so-called ‘one-pass’ soil cultivation implement. It prepares the soil for seeding or planting in a single operation. Even a suitable seeding machine is available. The Optimizer has been on the market for a few years, recently also for Australian farmers. To use this machine, you need a tractor with over 500 horsepower.
The Sharpshooter spot sprayer from Verdant Robotics excels in precision. The sprayer recognizes 99% of all weeds.
The rotating nozzles of the Sharpshooter spot sprayer work rapidly and are highly accurate because they target the weeds.
The Guss autonomous electric-powered orchard sprayer for herbicides has a so-called runtime of 12 hours.
The sleek black design model somewhat resembles a spaceship and is the most recent spray vehicle from Guss. In 2022, John Deere entered into a joint venture with the company.
At World Ag Expo 2024, various special, often armored implements and self-propelled vehicles are on display for the cultivation and harvesting of nuts such as pistachios and almonds. A “shaker” from TOL in Tulare literally shakes the nuts out of the tree. The machine is controlled from a cabin on the outside of the bunker. Only a viewing hole to the right provides a view of the work.
A mega harvester for blueberries. This was built in 2009 by an American farmer with the surname Littau and further refined over the years. The Littau XL1 is suitable for soft fruit varieties and has a lift at the back. There is space on the platform for three people who can sort the fruit.
