Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Future of Farming: Robot Farmers? What do you think of this concept video?

What do you think farming technology will capable of in 50 - 100 years?
Joe

Views: 1375

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on February 21, 2012 at 3:47am

Replies on Twitter:


CornellFarmsFeb 19, 9:03pm via Web

@OntAg Facinating video.

Show Conversation
mattymetzgerFeb 18, 5:20pm via TweetDeck

@OntAg more robotics yes, but not in that form

Show Conversation
ScoutingFieldsFeb 18, 9:58am via Web

@OntAg Interesting Robot concept. With precision farming technologies,changes are happening at a fast pace. check outbit.ly/p1ygWM

1 retweetsHide conversation
OntAg

OntAg: #ontag Chat Forum: Future of Farming: Robot Farmers? What do you think of this concept video?http://t.co/7MFJig4R

Permalink Reply by Iain Robson on December 13, 2012 at 11:49pm

Quite an interesting video. I just recently wrote a blog post about why young farmers love tech and this play along to that. While I don't talk about robots I definitely talk about being more efficient at the farm.

This video is also very thought provoking because many people feel that robots will take over, but not in a good way. Think about i-robot. I wonder how many farmers would jump on something like this if it was affordable. 

What kind of technology do you use on your farms?

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on December 19, 2012 at 9:35am

Hi Iain,

Welcome to the Ontario Agriculture Community website.

It sounds like you are interested in farming and getting a handle on the technology.

I suggest that you go visit a farm machinery dealership in your area and ask to talk to the Precision Ag Specialist.

They will show you some of the interesting new tools farmers have to be more efficient....autosteer, gps, record keeping...

Take care,

 

Joe

 

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on December 19, 2012 at 9:38am

Here is a video we did with the Propero inventor this summer.

Permalink Reply by Iain Robson on December 19, 2012 at 9:48am

Thanks Joe, 

That is a great idea. I will have to set up a time to go check out some of the stuff they have out there now.

It is awesome to see what they are doing nowadays. I wonder how many robots like that you would have to have to plant 100 acres. 

Iain

Joe Dales said:

Hi Iain,

Welcome to the Ontario Agriculture Community website.

It sounds like you are interested in farming and getting a handle on the technology.

I suggest that you go visit a farm machinery dealership in your area and ask to talk to the Precision Ag Specialist.

They will show you some of the interesting new tools farmers have to be more efficient....autosteer, gps, record keeping...

Take care,

 

Joe

 

Permalink Reply by Joe Dales on December 19, 2012 at 9:55am

The little Prospero robot is more of a concept by the young inventor....not sure if it makes sense as a corn planter...current tractor and planters are increasing in size and sophistication...pretty efficient and effective at placing the seed.

Here is a video we did this spring with our friend Larry planting corn....he uses gps autosteer to make sure there is no seeding wasted with overlap.

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Iain Robson on December 19, 2012 at 10:42am

My only problem with that type of technology is how do the small farms afford it. That could almost be a whole topic in itself.

Awesome video though.

Permalink Reply by Paul Smith on December 19, 2012 at 3:20pm

Technology is here to stay, maybe not with planting robots, but precision Ag is now a way farming.  Truthfully in a lot of cases if you are not using precision Ag solutions you are leaving money somewhere on the table.

Data management to me is the next buzz word in Ag, it is what farmers use to make decisions on Variable Rate Application, inputs and seed population and even water management.  To make the most profitable choices you need the proper accurate data and that’s were precision Ag is going.

Sometimes it is easier for smaller operations to implement changes like precision since the intial investment is not as high as the BTO's farming.

 

Permalink Reply by Iain Robson on December 19, 2012 at 11:11pm

What type of initial investment are we talking for a small farm?

Paul Smith said:

Technology is here to stay, maybe not with planting robots, but precision Ag is now a way farming.  Truthfully in a lot of cases if you are not using precision Ag solutions you are leaving money somewhere on the table.

Data management to me is the next buzz word in Ag, it is what farmers use to make decisions on Variable Rate Application, inputs and seed population and even water management.  To make the most profitable choices you need the proper accurate data and that’s were precision Ag is going.

Sometimes it is easier for smaller operations to implement changes like precision since the intial investment is not as high as the BTO's farming.

 

Permalink Reply by Paul Smith on December 20, 2012 at 8:55am

starting at 2000 and the sky is the limit, but hi end systems run around 15K, alot has to do with the dealers knowledge how they can train customers to collect and manage the data to make gains on the farm

Permalink Reply by Iain Robson on December 20, 2012 at 9:27am

And that 2000 could be put on any tractor, or would it have to be on certain types that already have some stuff on them.

Paul Smith said:

starting at 2000 and the sky is the limit, but hi end systems run around 15K, alot has to do with the dealers knowledge how they can train customers to collect and manage the data to make gains on the farm

Permalink Reply by Paul Smith on December 20, 2012 at 9:35am

2000 would be just a display, that could be used for guidance(it tells you where to drive to be efficient) by a means of a light bar and it can be used in any piece of equipment on a farm.  Main uses for these are tillage, spraying and less accurate planting.

Systems that steer for you start around 5K and most applications top out around 14K for most cash crop operations.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Spring Wheat Condition Improves; Winter Wheat Harvest 11% Done

The 2026 U.S. spring wheat crop improved over the past week but remained slightly below a year ago, while the winter wheat harvest moved ahead quickly and crop ratings remained historically poor. Monday’s USDA crop progress report rated the national spring wheat crop at 52% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 5 points from the previous week but still a single point below last year. In North Dakota, the largest spring wheat-producing state, the crop was rated 61% good to excellent, up 3 points from a week earlier. Minnesota improved to 86% good to excellent, up from 78% the previous week. South Dakota rose to 52%, compared with 44% the previous week, while Montana remained under heavy stress at just 10% good to excellent, although that was an improvement from only 1% a week earlier. Spring wheat development continued to advance. Planting was 98% complete, up from 94% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 95%. Emergence reached 87%, up from 72% the previous week and

Manitoba Seeding Nears Completion Amid Stormy Conditions

Manitoba seeding is nearly wrapped up, even as severe storms brought intense rainfall, strong winds, and hail to parts of the province.  The weekly crop report on Tuesday showed seeding across the province at 93% complete, up from 71% a week earlier. That’s just modestly behind 99% last year and the five-year average of 95%, after earlier weather-related delays.  Precipitation was highly variable across Manitoba over the past week, with stormy weather between June 2 and 4. Environment Canada confirmed three tornadoes, including sightings in the Manitou and Carman areas. Heavy rainfall in parts of the Northwest later in the week triggered overland flood warnings, while portions of the Northwest, Interlake and Central regions have now received more than 60 mm of rain since May 1.  Despite the stormy weather, seeding of most major crops is nearly finished. Spring wheat seeding is mostly complete, although the Northwest is still only about 80% done. Corn planting is complete, while cano

Supervised autonomy solution aims to optimize field operations

EMILI is using Verge Ag’s Launch Pad software to automate route planning on Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert during the 2026 season. In May 2026, Innovation Farms Associate Sarah Wilcott worked with Verge Ag to generate tillage plans specific to the farm’s field boundaries, elevation, and equipment. The plan was then synced to a John Deere 590 tractor before tilling began. Verge Ag’s Launch Pad is a web-based precision agriculture platform that aims to unlock autonomy on a farmer’s existing equipment.  “The current version uses smart heuristics to estimate how ‘costly’ any maneuver in the field is, along with various meta-heuristic algorithms to optimize the route ordering,” said Verge Ag Product Manager AJ Nolin. Its core feature is Path Planner, which helps farmers plan out the most efficient route before any equipment enters a field. The made in Canada technology is designed to be accessible and cost effective. It uses standard GIS shapefiles, costs only $5 to plan seeding f

CANZA Marketplace available for farmers

The marketplace is open to Ontario farmers first with plans to expand across Canada

Supporting wood-waste innovation in the Kootenays

A Kootenay-based project is receiving provincial funding to convert forestry waste into a soil supplement, benefiting agriculture and forestry sectors, while supporting training and good-paying jobs in the region. “People in rural communities are finding innovative ways to create new opportunities for their families and neighbours while caring for the environment,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs and Economic Growth. “By turning wood waste into valuable new products, this project is creating jobs, supporting local businesses and helping build a stronger future for the community. Through our Look West strategy, we are investing in the people, ideas and industries that keep rural British Columbia thriving.” Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), the Province is providing approximately $182,000 to Wildsight to support its Fire for Healthy Soils project in Creston. The funding supports a pilot project to convert wood waste into biochar, which is

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service