The agricultural industry has long grappled with two critical challenges: soil preservation and labor shortages. These issues have been particularly pronounced during harvest seasons, driving the need for innovative solutions. The concept of autonomous transport combinations during harvest is not new; ideas and solutions date back nearly 50 years. However, the current state of this technology and its adoption in modern agriculture present a fascinating landscape.
The motivations behind autonomous transport combinations are clear. Preserving soil health is paramount, as repeated traffic over fields can lead to compaction and degradation. Simultaneously, the scarcity of skilled labor has become a significant bottleneck, especially given the increasing acreages and shorter harvest windows. Harvesters for combines, forage, potatoes, sugar beets, and fruits and vegetables have grown in size to meet these demands, but this growth is not without its complications.
In the Netherlands, the concept of controlled traffic farming (CTF) was trialed as early as 1978 by Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Using a radio-controlled tractor with extended track width, WUR demonstrated that CTF could result in financial gains, particularly in high-value farmland. This early research laid the groundwork for modern implementations of soil-preserving technologies.
Fast forward to today, and companies like German Nexat are reviving these ideas. Nexat recently announced the sales start of their widespan implement carrier in Brazil, focusing on a 14-meter track width to minimize soil compaction. This concept harks back to the British Dowler Gantry carrier of the 1970s and 1980s, which spanned 12 meters and was used for crop care activities. Danish manufacturer Asa-Lift, part of Grimme, also developed the Wide Span 9000 (WS9000) carrier vehicle spanning 9.6 meters on request of Danish farmer Jens Kristian Kjeldahl to also pickup onions.
In the Netherlands, various initiatives have explored autonomous harvest transportation. The HWodKa foundation, established in 2005, aimed to develop lightweight autonomous carriers but faced challenges such as complexity, efficient existing logistics, short transportation distances, and lack of funding. Other projects like SMARAGD and Lasting Fields concluded in 2021, but a successor project, NXTGEN Hightech, is running from 2022 to early 2027. One of its use cases is ‘Handsfree Autonomous Harvesting of Open-Field Vegetables.’ Additionally, a project in the Northwest of the Netherlands, supported by Microsoft with €1 million annually for 12 years starting in 2024, aims to lower the impact on the soil by altering harvest transportation.
The leader-follower principle has gained traction in the agricultural industry. American grain cart specialist Kinze Manufacturing was among the first to implement this technology, allowing an unmanned tractor towing a chaser bin to autonomously follow a combine harvester. While Kinze’s development seems to have stalled, other companies have adopted and commercialized the concept. Ag Leader’s CartACE, John Deere’s Machine Sync, PTx Trimble’s OutRun, and Raven’s Cart Automation are now available, offering various features to enhance harvest efficiency and reduce soil compaction.
Ag Leader’s CartACE, available globally since 2020, helps grain cart operators navigate the field by generating guidance lines alongside the combine. John Deere’s Machine Sync, introduced in 2012, encourages customers to focus on combine harvest automation. PTx Trimble’s OutRun system, launched this year in Australia and the United States, enables existing tractors to operate without a driver, reducing compaction by reusing previously traveled paths. Raven’s Cart Automation, introduced in North America in 2020 and soon to be available in Western Europe, addresses the demand from farmers who struggle to find skilled drivers.
While these solutions are proprietary and non-universal, the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) is developing guidelines for brand-independent machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. This development, known as wireless in-field communication, will take a few more years to mature but promises to offer growers and contractors greater flexibility and interoperability.
In conclusion, the journey of autonomous transport combinations in agriculture has been long and evolving. From early trials in the 1970s to the sophisticated systems available today, the industry continues to innovate to address the pressing needs of soil preservation and labor shortages. As technology advances and standards are developed, the future of autonomous harvest transportation looks promising, offering solutions that are both efficient and sustainable.