How self-driving tractors can relieve the farmer and the soil

The two gentlemen previously worked at a manufacturer of agricultural vehicles. “It felt a bit like I was part of the wrong trend,” says Landstra. “Because there are fewer and fewer workers available to drive agricultural machinery on the land, the vehicles are becoming increasingly larger and heavier. That is not necessarily the right way to relieve the soil. I wanted to do things differently, and so did a few colleagues.”

Autonomous tractors

AgXeed was started in 2018. The company develops self-driving tractors. “We just started,” says Hiddema. “We designed our tractors ourselves, from drawing to programming.” That's quite a job, he admits. Yet the first prototype completed its first lap independently after just a year and a half. “We then tested a lot and made the necessary adjustments. We could start selling the robots in 2022,” Landstra adds.

Soil

AgXeed's self-propelled tractors are lightweight, which puts less strain on the soil. The high pressure of the current equipment compresses the soil, which can cause soil compaction. The soil receives less oxygen, soil life decreases, crops absorb fewer nutrients and rainwater is poorly drained. “The soil can still recover to a certain extent,” says Landstra. “But the more often and the more intensive the land use, the more difficult that becomes.”

Soil compaction reduces the yield and quality of crops. “For example, an unhealthy soil needs more chemicals and fertilizers to perform. This is how you end up in a downward spiral,” says Landstra.

Farmer

Because the tractors drive independently on the land, the farmer can save a lot of time. According to Hiddema, the number of working hours on the tractor will be reduced by about 50 to 90 percent. “Before the robot can start working, we measure the boundaries of the plot once,” says Hiddema. “Trees and other objects on the land are also measured so that the tractor can work around them.” Of course, unknown obstacles can also appear on land: think of birds and people. This spots the tractor with sound sensors and laser lights. First the robot slows down, if necessary it comes to a stop.

The agricultural vehicles can be used day and night. In practice, this sometimes takes some getting used to, Landstra sees. He tells about a farmer who turns on the machine late in the evening so that work can continue through the night. “He programmed the robot at the same speed at which he drove the tractor across the field. The robot was ready within two hours and then stood still for hours. Later it became clear that it is better to set the speed much lower. The work is then done more neatly and with much lower fuel consumption. The work process with a robot is therefore slightly different.”

Software

In addition to autonomous tractors, AgXeed has also developed software. This allows farmers to make field plans, among other things. Hiddema: “This happens online. The farmer makes a route plan, which is saved and sent to the robot at the push of a button. He then gets to work.”

While they perform their task, the self-driving robots record everything on the land. “This makes it possible to measure more and more often. If necessary, timely action can be taken based on all available data. Farmers can also view their labor processes. This makes it easier to determine which conditions are advantageous or disadvantageous in the cultivation process,” says Hiddema.

Switch

Landstra and Hiddema are convinced that their robots can contribute to the transition from traditional to more natural agriculture. Hiddema: “Some farmers want to grow organically, but that is still quite a challenge. Biological agents are better for the soil, but also less powerful. This means that they have to be used more often and therefore have to go into the field more often. The manpower to always go into the field and treat a small piece of land is simply not there. When you can send a tractor out on its own, it suddenly becomes possible.”

Continue to grow

There are now three types of AgXeed tractors driving around in the Netherlands, France, Australia and Canada. In order to continue to grow, AgXeed participated in Invest-NL's Fastlane program. Young companies receive guidance and coaching from experts to scale up. The entrepreneurs want to expand to help even more farms. “Customers are very enthusiastic about our robots. And in addition to the farmer, we also relieve the burden on the soil. We want to make a positive impact in several ways,” says Landstra.

Article created by: Change.Inc 
Foto credits: Axgeed