Skip to main content

How self-driving tractors can ease the burden on both farmers and the soil

Rienk Landstra and Joris Hiddema are not newcomers to the world of agricultural vehicles, but their self-driving tractors are a fresh innovation. With these, they aim to relieve both farmers and the soil.

The two men previously worked for a manufacturer of agricultural vehicles. “It felt like I was part of the wrong trend,” Landstra explains. “As fewer workers are available to operate machinery, the vehicles are getting larger and heavier. That’s not the best way to protect the soil. I wanted to do things differently, and so did a few colleagues.”

Autonomous tractors

AgXeed was founded in 2018 to develop self-driving tractors. “We just got started,” says Hiddema. “We designed our tractors ourselves, from sketching to programming.” This was quite a challenge, he admits. However, the first prototype was able to drive autonomously after just a year and a half. “After extensive testing and necessary adjustments, we were able to start selling the robots in 2022,” adds Landstra.

Soil

AgXeed’s self-driving tractors are lightweight, which reduces soil compaction—a common issue caused by heavy machinery. Soil compaction leads to reduced oxygen, decreased soil life, lower nutrient absorption by crops, and poor rainwater drainage. “The soil can recover to some extent,” says Landstra, “but the more frequently and intensively the land is used, the harder it becomes.”

Soil compaction results in lower crop yields and quality. “An unhealthy soil requires more chemicals and fertilizers to perform, leading to a downward spiral,” Landstra explains.

Farmer

Because the tractors drive autonomously in the field, the farmer can save a lot of time. According to Hiddema, the number of working hours on the tractor decreases by about 50 to 90 percent. “Before the robot can start working, we measure the boundaries of the field once,” says Hiddema. “Trees and other objects in the field are also measured, so the tractor can work around them.” Of course, unknown obstacles can also appear in the field, such as birds and people. The tractor detects these with sound sensors and laser lights. First, the robot slows down, and if necessary, it comes to a stop.

The agricultural vehicles can be used day and night. In practice, this sometimes takes some getting used to, notes Landstra. He shares a story about a farmer who started the machine late in the evening so that work could continue through the night. “He programmed the robot at the same speed he himself used when driving the tractor across the field. The robot finished in two hours and then stood still for hours. Later, it became clear that it’s better to set the speed much lower. The work is done more neatly and with much lower fuel consumption. So, the workflow with a robot is a little different.”

Software

In addition to autonomous tractors, AgXeed has developed software that allows farmers to create field plans online. Hiddema explains, “The farmer creates a route plan, which is saved and sent to the robot with the push of a button.”

While executing their tasks, the self-driving robots gather data from the fields, enabling more frequent measurements. This allows for timely interventions based on available data, and farmers can also monitor their operational processes to understand which conditions are beneficial or detrimental to crop production.

Transitioning

Landstra and Hiddema are convinced that their robots can aid the transition from traditional to more natural farming methods. Hiddema notes that some farmers want to grow organically, but the challenge lies in the use of organic materials, which are less potent and require more frequent application. This means farmers need to enter the fields more often, which is difficult without sufficient manpower. However, sending a tractor out on its own makes this feasible.

Growth

Currently, AgXeed operates three types of tractors across the Netherlands, France, Australia, and Canada. To facilitate their growth, AgXeed participated in the Fastlane program by Invest-NL, which provides young companies with expert guidance and coaching to scale up. The entrepreneurs aim to expand their reach to assist even more farms. “Customers are very enthusiastic about our robots. We aim to make a positive impact in multiple ways, benefiting both farmers and the soil,” says Landstra.