Field of machines: Researchers grow crop using only automation
Field of machines: Researchers grow crop using only
automation
Machines replace human workers in planting, growing and
harvesting a barley crop
Professor: "Automation is feasible everywhere, but
... it only makes sense in certain situations"
By Spencer Feingold, CNN Updated 9:30 PM ET, Sat October
7, 2017
(CNN)A farm in the United Kingdom is the first in the
world to successfully plant, tend and harvest a crop without a single person
ever setting foot in the field, according to researchers and developers
involved in the project.
From sowing the seeds to picking the grain, human workers
were replaced with automated machines operated from a control room. The
project, called Hands Free Hectare, was completed last month with a yield of 4
1/2 tons of barley, according to news releases.
The automated farm was a joint venture by Harper Adams
University in Shropshire, England, and Precision Decisions, a farming
specialist company in York.
"Previously, people have automated sections of
agricultural systems, but funding and interest generally only goes towards one
single area," said Kit Franklin, an agricultural engineer on the project.
Experts agree that automation technology has been
available for some time now, but in recent years its implementation has been
accelerated by decreasing costs and changing demographics in the workforce.
"The rising cost of labor is a huge driver in the
field of agriculture technology," explained Matt Nielsen of Autonomous
Solutions, a Utah-based company that converts vehicles from manual to robotic
control. "It makes sense when you compare the cost of technology to the
cost of labor."
Harbinger of what's possible
However, there are limitations still to be assessed. For
example, fresh fruits and vegetables are more delicate than sturdy grains and
may be more susceptible to bruising in a harvest void of human touch.
There are also social and country-specific
considerations. In Japan, for instance, agricultural automation may be a
necessity; in India, it could mean unemployment for millions.
"Technically, complete automation is feasible
everywhere, but economically and socially it only makes sense in certain
situations," said David Zilberman, a professor of agricultural and
resource economics at the University of California, Berkeley.
Nonetheless, the complete mechanization accomplished in
the UK is a harbinger of what's possible in agriculture production, according
to experts.
At Hands Free Hectare, agronomists and engineers used
customized tractors and drones to cultivate the barley from an area roughly
equivalent to two and a half acres.
Drones with multispectral sensors took aerial images of
the field, while smaller machines at crop level took samples to assess what fertilizers
to apply and where. Live camera feeds were used to detect invasive weeds or
disease.
Earlier this year, the United Nations' Food and
Agriculture Organization stressed the need for technological innovation to
create alternatives to high-input and destructive farming practices -- methods
that are unsustainable to meet global food needs, the FAO warned.
"Automation will facilitate a sustainable
system," said Hands Free Hectare's Franklin. "Different areas of the
field, and possibly even individual plants can be treated separately."
The success at Hands Free Hectare also demonstrates the
economic feasibility of complete automation, researchers say.
The project was funded in part by Innovate UK, a
government agency that helps British economic sectors transform from low-tech
to high-tech. The whole enterprise cost around $250,000, Innovate UK said in a
statement.
"The project itself was incredibly good value for
money," said Martin Abell, a mechatronics researcher at Precision
Decisions. "This was only possible through the use of open-source
software, allowing us to program our vehicles through low-cost drone-based
autopilots."
Skill set shift
Researchers maintain that even machinery produced
commercially -- as opposed to the prototypes used at Hands Free Hectare --
would be priced comparatively to traditional agricultural equipment.
"Just as computers used to be expensive, the cost of
automation technology is decreasing and won't be a barrier for even small
farms," explained Michael Boehlje, a professor of agricultural economics
at Purdue University.
Hands Free Hectare says the project is not about putting
farmers out of work but instead modernizing their position.
"A change in skill set is inevitable," said
Abell. "Roles would transition, enabling the farmers to better use their
time managing their farm and crops, opposed to carrying out the seemingly
robotic task of driving up and down a field in a straight line."
By leaving the "robotic" jobs to the robots,
agriculturalists say farmers could create more efficient work-flows free of
burdensome labor.
"A farmer once told me he adopted robotic farming
systems so he could have a life," recalled Boehlje.
With the success of the summer harvest, Hands Free
Hectare plans to continue its research into farming without any human tillage.
At the end of October, the team plans to plant a full crop of winter wheat.
But first, they plan to celebrate their success -- by
brewing their own beer, made from the spring barley harvested last month.
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