A new world ploughing record has been set by an autonomous vehicle covering just over 50 acres in 24 hours.
Taking place in the UK at Birch Farm in North Yorkshire the new record was achieved by the AgXeed AgBot 5.115T2 driverless vehicle pulling a five-furrow Kverneland LO 300/85 plough.
Officially, the 24-hour autonomous ploughing challenge knocked up 20.8ha (51.37 acres) of ploughing using the robotic tractor, which is powered by a Deutz diesel engine.
Essentially, this area covered would have taken two working days to complete by an operator using a similar powered tractor pulling a five-furrow plough.
Working with furrow widths of 40cm (16in) and at a depth of 22.5cm (9in) to prepare land for maize and fodder beet, the 156hp rubber-tracked autonomous AgBot operated at forward speeds from 5.6kph up to 8kph on the rolling land, slowing only to carry out headland turn sequences.
Telemetry from the AgBot confirmed that fuel consumption from the diesel-electric powertrain totalled 382.72 litres over the 24-hour period, delivering a fuel efficiency figure of 18.4 litres/ha.
“Having mapped the field boundary and created a job map complete with headland turns sequence, the AgBot worked tirelessly for 24 hours,” says Peter Robinson, AgXeed UK sales manager. “It has proved that autonomy is not just for the mundane, repetitive tasks, but it can also be applied to more complex processes, such as ploughing.”
With multi-layer security systems built into the AgBot for unrivalled operational safety, the seven-tonne autonomous tractor was equipped with a 1.5 tonne front weight to reinforce traction for the fully-mounted, five-furrow Kverneland LO plough.
“We are delighted to be part of this technological revolution and thrilled to have completed this world-first record attempt. The combination of Kverneland LO plough and AgBot achieved an output that would have taken two working days to complete with an operator using a similar powered tractor pulling a five-furrow plough,” adds Adam Burt, Kverneland UK’s product specialist for ploughs. “Using Kverneland number 28 bodies, the LO plough is one of the easiest on the market to pull, and its low draft has rewarded this achievement with low fuel consumption supported by a high-quality finish. Creating this record has highlighted the efficiencies available from using autonomous tractors for repetitive tasks.”
The AgBot was momentarily stopped during the night, to top-up its 375 litres fuel tank to complete the 24-hour work period. The total area ploughed during the 24-hour challenge was verified by north Yorkshire farmer and former director of the Society of Ploughmen, James Whitty.
