Specialty crop growers can expect robots to do their harvesting in the next 10 years

Robots have made their way to farm fields in masses over the last decade, and that growth is expected to continue.

One ag robotics pro says specialty crop growers stand the most to gain.

“Yes. It saves on labor, but this thing is a big expense and the fragility of the equipment, all those things are not yet there. But I’m going to make a prediction that in specialty crops within 10 years, more than half of specialty crops, harvesting will be done by robots. It’s coming, and it’s coming strong. I can see that from our relationships with our customers, and from our experience with our partners, it’s coming,” said Mark DeSantis.

DeSantis tells aginfo.net that this kind of technology is not just for smaller operations. He believes industrial growers will also be on board.

Related Stories
Product targets nutrient loss while supporting plant growth
As AI-driven data centers expand in rural South Texas, local officials and economists debate water use, farmland impacts, and the balance between technology growth and agriculture preservation.
The Farm Monitor takes us along to see how they’re leaning on technology to improve poultry production.
As data centers expand across Texas, experts and officials weigh economic benefits against concerns over farmland loss, water use, and impacts on agricultural land and rural communities.
Missoula lab combines controlled testing with field data to improve wildfire response
$2 million project tests fogging system to stop the virus in poultry facilities

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the split-interest transaction? And what are the rules when property that was acquired in a split-interest transaction is sold? That is the topic of today’s blog post by RFD-TV Agri-Legal Expert Roger McEowen.
A story that started with hardship ultimately led to a producer impacting the lives of youth involved in sheep showing. The North Carolina Farm Bureau takes us to Haynes Farm in Dobson, N.C., to hear this inspiring story.
Show producer Donna Sanders shares her perspective on filming the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From at Splenda Stevia Farms, a company growing a sweet specialty crop here in the U.S. that is typically imported from overseas.
A split-interest transaction involves one party acquiring a temporary interest in the asset (such as a term certain or life estate), with the other party acquiring a remainder interest. That is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV Agrilegal Expert Roger A. McEowen.
As I try to catch up on my writing after being on the road for a lengthy time, I have several recurring themes in my legal work. Another potpourri of random ag law and tax issues — that is the topic of today’s Firm to Farm blog post by RFD-TV Agrilegal Expert Roger McEowen.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.