Equipment industry insider sees lots of helpful farm products on the way
Technological advancements are happening at such a breakneck pace that it can be nearly impossible to stay up-to-date on what’s new and emerging. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers’ (AEM) Anita Sennett has a good handle on what’s available and what’s destined to be the next big thing.
More on Farm Technology:
Sennett is director of agricultural product management for AEM, the Milwaukee-based trade association that works with large and small manufacturers to help them be competitive in the global marketplace. In this Q&A, she discusses how these innovative companies are refining their products to give farmers the pinpoint control, efficiency and real-time data that is changing the way America farms.
Q: How many of the new developments in agricultural machinery are technology-driven?
A: The vast majority of new developments in agricultural machinery are technology-driven. While it’s true there continue to be developments in making equipment bigger and faster, the primary focus is no longer on big iron, but on smart farming. Data is king, and the best way for North American farmers to cut their costs while increasing their yield is by gathering and applying that data.
List of Farm Machinery Innovations
Q: What technologies are being incorporated by manufacturers?
A: 3D printing is having a huge impact on the way equipment is developed. Where every component of a prototype used to have to be manufactured, now many are able to be created using a 3D printer. Processes that used to take months have been shortened to weeks, even days, and with very significant cost savings. It will be interesting to see how use of this technology develops in the future. Will dealers – or even farmers – be 3D printing their own replacement parts?\
Q: What are some new agricultural technologies that are emerging?
A: Telematics data coming off the equipment lets farmers know where each piece of equipment is, how long it’s been running, fuel efficiency, idle time, etc. Autonomous equipment also allows farmers to save on human resources – having someone just to run the grain carts, for example. Instead the combine operator can call the grain cart when it’s needed, and it powers up the tractor and guides it to where it needs to go. Once loaded, it automatically heads back to the semi.
Q: What has the advent of new technologies meant for farmers?
A: It enables farmers to increase yields with the same amount of land and fewer inputs. However, farmers are struggling to manage and apply the data. They need a comprehensive data-management system that will integrate their field data, equipment data, finances, market data, weather, etc.
Q: Where do you see things going in the future?
A: I see more data being gathered for an increasingly targeted approach to farming. Where we’ve seen a switch from entire fields to square meters being treated in the same way, eventually farming will be on a plant-by-plant basis. Drones may play a major role as we continue to find new uses and implications for that technology. Telematics will allow for more efficient equipment management. For example, a tractor could sense that a part is about to fail and could automatically contact the dealer, order the part and schedule a service time.