[Technology Corner] Cutting-Edge Ag Technology on Display at CES 2024

 The 2024 Consumer Electronics Show took place last week in Las Vegas. Let’s bring you up to speed on some of the key takeaways.

John Deere confirmed its Furrow Vision retrofit solution for planters will be available in 2025 and will be monetized on a per acre or per unit basis.

Deere also discussed its See and Spray software-as-a-service (SaaS) pricing model — it will vary by customer, but the company said its currently charging $4 per acre in the test run with corn growers.

Deere also announced that testing of autonomous tillage solutions for 8 and 9 series tractors is underway, with a dozen customers already using the technology to till 50,000 acres.

Meanwhile, Kubota unveiled its fully electric, multi-purpose vehicle, called the New Agri Concept. Key technologies include automatic data collection, real-time monitoring, AI identifying potential issues and more. Its 6 independent drive motors and standard three-point hitch allow it to use many existing implements for common operations including mowing and tilling. And it can fast charge from 10% to 80% in less than 6 minutes.

And finally, Bobcat generated some buzz with the unveiling of the first autonomous and electric articulating tractor — the Bobcat AT450X enabled by Agtonomy. It’s designed to carry out critical farm tasks autonomously or remotely in compact applications, such as vineyards and orchards. Commercialization details will be announced at a later date.