by acquiring NavCom Technology back in the late 1990s. Jorge Heraud, co-founder and CEO of Blue


River Technology said the firm is advancing precision farming by moving management decisions from field to plant level. “We’re using computer vision, robotics and machine learning to help smart machines detect, identify and make management decisions about every single plant in the field,” he explained. So far, the team has developed See & Spray


– a tractor-mounted row crop sprayer that identifies individual weeds and applies an appropriate herbicide – and LettuceBot – an implement that thins lettuce crops by identifying the plants that will contribute most to yield.


Indian manufacturer gets ready to release driverless tractor INDIA


India’s leading tractor maker has joined the race to introduce commercial driverless tractors by demonstrating one of its machines with a guidance system, obstacle detection, geofence containment and automatic hitch lift and lower. Indian market leader Mahindra & Mahindra said it will phase in the autonomous system for its 20-100hp range early next year and offer it in overseas markets such as the US and Japan in due course. Mahindra promotes this high-technology


approach as a means of reducing operators’ exposure to harsh weather and health hazards, while also talking up potential for increasing farm productivity.


German engine maker Deutz buys electric and hybrid drive specialist


EUROPE Off-highway engine maker Deutz has responded to the likely adoption of electric and hybrid drive systems for agricultural vehicles by acquiring a leading German manufacturer. Torqeedo produces propulsion systems for


boats, but Deutz managers believe buying the company will allow them to bring electrification knowledge and products into agriculture quicker than if starting from scratch themselves. Frank Hiller, chairman of the management


board at Deutz, said: “This will give us a significant advantage in a very fast-moving, competitive environment, and marks the start of our E-Deutz strategy.” Torqeedo founder and CEO Christoph Ballin said his company has extensive know-how about electric motors, battery management, power electronics and system integration.


The development is also a signal to export


markets – such as the US, where Mahindra has a strong following for its utility tractors – that it is up to speed with the latest technology. The driverless tractor has the company’s


own DiGi Sense telematics system, which contributes features such as vehicle tracking and geofencing to the automation package. Auto headland turn with pass skipping if


appropriate is available from the GNSS guidance, and the vehicle can be operated remotely through a tablet computer interface.


Deutz will invest about $117m in the


Torqeedo acquisition and other initiatives to implement the E-Deutz strategy, which the company foresees has potential for further downsizing of combustion engines to bring lower fuel consumption and operating costs. The first products are expected in about two


years’ time.


First gas-powered combine begins testing in Belarus


EUROPE Belarusian machinery manufacturer Gomselmash is testing the world’s first combine harvester to run on compressed natural gas. The company produces a large range of


agricultural machinery under the Palesse brand, including combine harvesters, foragers, potato harvesters and mowers, to name a few. Last July, fueled by gas from Minsk-based


energy company Gazprom Transgas, the uniquely named Palesse GS4118K combine was field tested for the first time. The machine is designed for harvesting small-seeded cereals and grass seed and can also be adapted for harvesting corn, sunflower, legumes and rapeseed in flat fields with a slope up to 8deg.


The GS4118K is equipped with a gas engine,


storage cylinders, low- and high-pressure lines, valves and reduction systems. Its aim is to make grain harvesting more economical and environmentally friendly.


▶ FUTURE FARMING 9 November 2017 9


TIM SCRIVENER


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