It takes 1,200 volunteers to welcome the expected 100,000 visitors over three days to the World Ag Expo — a massive event in Tulare, California, that features over 1,000 exhibitors.
That’s a huge human effort to host a farm show promoting autonomous technology at every turn.
At least, that’s what was catching the attention of tree fruit growers who visited the expo on Feb. 10 as part of the International Fruit Tree Association’s annual meeting.
New York orchardists were considering the advantages of the autonomous tractors from Agtonomy and Kubota, while several tree fruit nurserymen had their eyes on the Burro Grande, which was demonstrating its autonomous mowing capabilities.
“We’re looking to reduce the labor of these mundane tasks and redistribute our skilled labor to be more effective,” said Shaun Callahan of Adams County Nursery in Pennsylvania.
Nurseries might be a potential market for Carbon Robotics’ laser weeding technology as well. Designed to weed vegetable crops, and equipped with sensors that can distinguish weeds from seedlings, the system could also be used to weed seedling fruit trees, said Miles Murphy of Carbon Robotics. The weeder was one of the expo’s Top-10 New Products.
Energy-efficient electric technology was also on display, including an autonomous electric tractor from Iowa-based Amos Power and electric-powered farm transport rigs from California-based Boson Motors, another of the award-winning new products at the show. •
Attendees check out the smallest Amos Power tractor, an electric and autonomous tractor developed in Iowa, at the World Ag Expo on Feb. 10 in Tulare, California. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
Charlie Andersen of Burro, left, talks with Eric Haller and Shaun Callahan of Adams County Nursery, and Bennet Mayo of Mike and Brian’s Nursery about how the mowing and towing features of the company’s autonomous platforms could provide labor savings in nursery systems. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
A family climbs into a new electric spray rig from Boson Motors. The California-based company’s spray, crew transport and general hauling models can do about 100 miles — or a full day shift — on one charge, said sales representative Angel Barajas. The company is one of the expo’s Top-10 New Product winners. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
An attendee takes a video of the autonomous Kubota tractors, built in partnership with Agtonomy, navigating a turn in a demonstration orchard at World Ag Expo. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
Small targets flame up during a demonstration of Carbon Robotics’ laser weeder, which scans to identify weeds and then zaps them. (Kate Prengaman/Good Fruit Grower)
