Robot seeks farmer: apply and test innovative robots on own farm

The robotization of Dutch outdoor crops is getting a boost from the NPPL and WUR. For growing season 2025, the National Precision Agriculture Laboratory is looking for farmers and growers who want to test field robots and new precision techniques on their farms. About seven machines will be available for a whole or part of a growing season.

In order to truly assess the market readiness of robots, experts both from WUR and beyond will be involved to assess that objectively. At issue is the question: where are we now with robotization on production sites (at the farmer's)? At the Ministry of LVVN, the question is also asked: where will we be in ten years with 10,000 arable farmers? What should be invested in? Field robots, the reasoning goes, could be the answer to four serious issues facing entrepreneurs in open cropping:

1. soil compaction;
2. scarcity of labor;
3. the elimination of chemical options to deal with weeds;
4. perfection of cultivation measures;

AgXeed Agbot-5-115t2 traction robot/tool carrier (156 hp) to perform fully autonomous field work with a focus on labor efficiency and cost reduction. To be measured and assessed will be: capacity, implement utilization, precision, data exchange, user interface, safety, energy consumption and labor efficiency, impact on soil compaction and biodiversity. What can this autonomous tractor do, what does the grower want with it? (tillage, ridging, field transport with tipper, haulm folding, planting/potting/seeding).