The first robot tractor to work on the farm in the UK

Due to scarcity of labor, the first commercial robotic tractors are being put to use for weeding and other farm work in the UK.

The first robot tractor in operation on the farm in the UK. Photo: TL. According to Fram Famers (UK), commercial robot tractors have been put into operation at Home Farm Nacton (member of Fram), in Suffolk (United Kingdom), from mid-April. Technological improvement required, along with difficulties in finding seasonal labor, led to the investment of robot tractors at the aforementioned farm. Home Farm, which specializes in organic agricultural production, received the Robotti 150D from Agrointelli, a Danish company. It was the first robot tractor to operate in the UK, and is now fully operational on the farm. The Robotti 150D is used to till the soil to prevent weeds from sprouting by using a harrow attachment. In the near future, Robotti 150D at Home Farm will be used to perform many other jobs such as mowing the lawn, punching holes to plant onions, etc. Home Farm produces both organic and conventional vegetables, including leeks, bok choy, onions, beets, potatoes, sugar beets and grains, on 1,940 hectares. The farm is looking to apply more advanced technology to production and business activities. Andrew Williams, Home Farm manager, said: “A large portion of our produce is organic, so we are increasingly limited in how we can control weeds. Organic production requires a lot of repetitive work as the beds are constantly plowed and weeded. Meanwhile, sourcing seasonal workers, mainly foreigners, has become increasingly difficult. We want to look to the future of farming and Robotti fits our setup perfectly.” Designed and manufactured by Agrointelli, the Robotti 150D is controlled automatically by GPS via an integrated computer, independent of the operator, instead following a pre-programmed route in the field. Tractor Robotti 150D. Source: Agrointelli. “Accuracy lies in the GPS mapped field, with Robotti always taking the exact same lines,” explains Frederik Rom, sales manager for Agrointelli. It is equipped with an RTK GPS, so setting up on any farm is simple. It takes about 10 minutes to map the 4-acre field at Home Farm and another 10 minutes to log the weeding plan into the system. It is important that this is correct from the start, as it will determine reliable performance.”