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Kverneland, in collaboration with AgXeed, has set the world's first record in autonomous plowing.
Kverneland aimed to be the first company worldwide to set a record for the largest area plowed within 24 hours by an autonomous agricultural robot. And they have succeeded.
The 24-hour competition took place at Birch Farm in Stonegrave, North Yorkshire. A driverless AgBot 5.115T2 was used, pulling a five-furrow Kverneland LO 300/85 plow. In total, an area of 20.8 hectares was successfully worked on.
The autonomous AgBot, with 156 horsepower and rubber tracks, handled the hilly terrain with a furrow width of 40 cm and a plowing depth of 22.5 cm. The goal was to prepare the land optimally for the cultivation of corn and fodder beets. The AgBot only reduced its speed for the turning maneuvers at the headlands.
Telemetry data confirmed a fuel consumption of 382.72 liters over the 24-hour period of operation. This resulted in a fuel efficiency of 18.4 liters per hectare for the diesel-electric powertrain.
Kverneland is very pleased with the results. "The combination of the Kverneland LO plow and the AgBot has delivered a performance for which a driver with a similarly powered tractor pulling a five-furrow plow would have taken two working days," explained Adam Burt, a plow product specialist at Kverneland UK.
"By using Kverneland No. 28 plow bodies, the LO plow is one of the easiest plows to pull on the market, and its low traction requirement has enabled this performance with low fuel consumption and high-quality processing," Adam added.
Autonomy also works for complex processes, as stated by Peter Robinson, sales manager of AgXeed UK. "After mapping the field boundaries and creating a work map with the sequence of headlands, the AgBot worked tirelessly for 24 hours. It has proven that autonomy is not only suitable for everyday repetitive tasks but also for more complex processes like plowing."
The AgBot's integrated multi-stage safety systems ensure high operational safety. The autonomous 7-ton tractor was equipped with a 1.5-ton front weight to enhance traction for the fully assembled five-furrow Kverneland LO plow.
The AgBot was briefly paused at night to refill its 375-liter fuel tank and complete the 24-hour work. The total area plowed during the 24-hour competition was verified by James Whitty, a farmer from North Yorkshire and former director of the Society of Ploughmen.