Agxeed has set an autonomous world drilling record with a Kongskilde combination that drilled 30.7ha (76 acres) in 14 hours.
Who would have thought just a few years ago that autonomous vehicles would be setting world records. This one was established across four heavy clay fields at Agden Green farm near Cambridge, with a standard tracked 5.115T2 Agbot paired to a 6.0m Kongskilde Vibroseeder and 1,900l front hopper.
We suspect that the record will not hold for long. The plan was to run for 24 hours, but bad weather forced the autonomous set up to stop well short of the target. Nevertheless, the fully loaded 10.4t driverless vehicle covered an average of 2.19ha/hr. This suggests that it must be possible to cover around 50ha in 24 hours.
The field boundaries were preloaded, so once each field was completed, a simple button press initiated movement to the next field. An ISObus seed monitoring system was also added to enable remote viewing of all 40 coulters while drilling. Working at a depth of 8-10cm, the Vibroseeder seeded Crusoe winter milling wheat at a rate of 225kg/ha.
The preset operating speed was 7.0km/hr, with turning speeds reduced to 4.5km/hr on the headlands. Average fuel consumption was 17l/hr.
“After receiving five months’ rain in four days, much of the area was waterlogged, making the AgBot’s light footprint essential for planting,” said William Mumford of Agden Green farm. “Our wheeled tractors would have simply gotten stuck.”
The seed hopper on the Kongskilde Vibroseeder was filled five times. The Agbot started at 9am. Unfavourable weather brought the proceedings to an end soon after 11pm.
Next year, Mr Mumford anticipates only the combine and sprayer requiring manual operation, with the Agbot covering fertilizer spreading, cultivation, seeding, and rolling, relieving his 92-year-old father and other seasonal staff.
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