Labor — or more often a lack of it — is still the number one factor driving farmers’ adoption of automation and robotics solutions, according to panelists, demonstrators and casual attendees at last week’s FIRA USA show in California.

Mississippi State is partnering with John Deere through a master research agreement, establishing a framework for the university’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute to help develop technology to automate critical steps in the production of cotton and other crops.

This new funding round will help scale Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder™ business, introduce new software and hardware products, and expand state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities in Eastern Washington.

When looking forward, what kind of vehicle is most relevant and most suitable to perform jobs and tasks autonomously? An unmanned tractor, a multipurpose field robot or a combination of both?

The latest study released on the Global Autonomous Tractors Market by USD Analytics Market evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2032.

As farms struggle to address a significant labor shortage, self-driving tractors and other autonomous technologies are not only positioned to fill the gaps, but could also reinvigorate interest in an industry that has struggled to recruit the next generation of workers.

The University of Illinois recently conducted a study on the economics of adopting weeding robots in Midwest corn production, which involved a survey of farmers' willingness to adopt the technology.

John Issacson, Technical Sales with Monarch Tractor discusses the company's history and their methods in addressing the rise of autonomous tractors.

Marketing Specialist Sara Gillum explains how Sabanto's retrofit kit can transform a conventional tractor into an autonomous tractor and the recent announcement of King Ranch Ag and Turf joining Sabanto's network of dealers and how this will affect the market.