The world-first project called Hands Free Hectare has just kicked off with Harper Adams University engineering staff, supported and led by precision farming specialist Precision Decisions creating their first robotic farming machinery, ready for drilling a spring crop in March.
Researcher Kit Franklin said: “As a team, we believe there is now no technological barrier to automated field agriculture.
“This project gives us the opportunity to prove this and change public perception.
“Previously, people have automated sections of agricultural systems but funding and interest generally only goes towards one single area.
“We’re hoping to string everything together to create one whole system, which will allow us to farm our hectare of cereal crop from establishment to harvest, without having to go into the field.”
While he was confident of success using open source technology, there was still an element of risk.
“This is the first time in the world that this has been done but pushing boundaries is what engineering research is about.”
The team would use small-scale machinery already available on the market and adapt it in the university’s engineering labs ready for the autonomous field work.
“We will be drilling a spring crop in March.
“April to July will comprise crop husbandry activities with remote agronomy and autonomous application of required inputs and then harvesting in August and September.”
One key advantage was improved soil health.
“We’re currently at a stage where farm machinery has got to unsustainable sizes.
“With these larger machines, we are seeing a number of issues including reduced soil health through compaction, which hinders plant growth.”
Franklin believed automation would facilitate a sustainable system where multiple, smaller, lighter machines would enter the field, minimising the level of compaction.
UK Farmers Weekly
• MORE: Updates will be shared by the team via social media: Twitter (@FreeHectare), YouTube and Facebook (@HandsFreeHectare).
