Farm tech keeps advancing at World Ag Expo
Feb. 11—This week's World Ag Expo in Tulare has the answer to the eternal question: What will they think of next?
To start with, more farming robots are being invented — as expected at a time of rising costs. Artificial intelligence wired to sensors and automated machinery is now spraying crops, protecting bees, weeding, analyzing operations in real-time, irrigating and even harvesting fruit.
The proverbial cream of the crop made the event's 2023 Top-10 New Products Competition list. They will be among thousands of products on display by more than 1,200 exhibitors taking part Tuesday through Thursday at the International Agri-Center in the largest annual show of its kind.
Sure to get notice are the Flying Autonomous Robots by Tevel U.S. Using eight integrated flying units, the harvesting system adapts to different tree heights and row widths using advanced software and vision algorithms. Tevel's invention collects data on every piece of fruit picked and provides it in real-time. It works on apples, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums.
BeeHome by Beewise of Oakland detects threats to bee colonies, such as pesticides and parasites, and takes action in real-time out in the field. With automated surveillance and treatment, and a system compatible with modern beekeeping practices, the product is touted as reducing colony collapse up to 80 percent and cutting operational costs as much as 90 percent.
The latest marriage of irrigation and computer technology is the S5 Pressure Compensating Heavywall Dripline by Rain Bird of Azusa. The system allows farmers to specify spacing patterns that save on water and chemicals, and it comes with the company's self-flushing emitter for more precise, accurate flows.
Haytech by Quanturi of Palo Alto is specifically geared toward improving hay farming. Its wireless probes and base station provide visualizations and alerts allowing 24-hour monitoring of storage no matter the size of the stack.
Seeding is the focus of the Seed Spider Digital Controller Mobile App by Sutton Agricultural Enterprises Inc. of Salinas. It collects, compares and stores a variety of seeding data, and it calibrates seed-metering devices.
Bluewhite Pathfinder by Bluewhite of Fresno creates an autonomous fleet out of existing tractors. Operating independently of GPS and cellular connections, the product puts LIDAR, cameras and other sensors to work spraying, discing, mowing and harvesting with new efficiency and precision.
Burro with Bitwise Agronomy — Superhuman Crop Scouting On-Board by Burro with Bitwise Agronomy On-Board of Philadelphia offers new accuracy, consistency and speed of analysis of field conditions. It goes out by itself to gauge seasonal plant stages and give fruit counts and measures.
Weeds are no problem for Vulcan by FarmWise of Salinas. Designed to be easy to maintain and repair, this hitch implement adapts to different conditions and, through software updates, adjusts to 15 different crop types.
Herbicide GUSS by GUSS Automation of Kingsburg introduces greater precision, safety, cost-efficiency and environmental protection with precision, autonomous spraying. Its sensors detect, target and spot-spray weeds using a specific quantity of material.
Another automated spraying system on this year's Top-10 New Products list is the Smart Sprayer by Mantis Ag Technology of Gonzales. Advanced visual recognition makes for precise applications, reducing off-target or wasteful spraying that could otherwise damage the environment, hurt profitability and limit crop performance.
The World Ag Expo averages about 100,000 visitors per year from 60 countries.
