Kubota partners with Agtonomy to introduce autonomous operations on M5N tractors for spraying and mowing in specialty crop farming. The collaboration merges Kubota's expertise with Agtonomy's autonomy software, aiming to enhance efficiency, productivity and sustainability in agriculture.
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Kubota North America announced a strategic collaboration with Agtonomy.
Kubota North America announced a strategic collaboration with Agtonomy, an agricultural autonomy software, to commercialize autonomous operations on Kubota diesel tractors for spraying and mowing.
This joint effort reflects Kubota's ongoing commitment to pioneering solutions for specialty crop growers, equipping them with smart technology that enhances efficiency, adaptability and productivity.
Kubota's vision for autonomy, specifically for its diesel tractors for spraying and mowing, is coming to life by integrating Agtonomy's autonomous platform with Kubota's AI-based crop insights and vehicles.
This initiative ensures seamless adoption of autonomous solutions within existing diesel tractor and sprayer operations, minimizing infrastructure demands, such as reducing pesticide use, managing labor shortages and increased labor costs, while maximizing operational efficiencies for specialty agriculture customers.
"As demonstrated at CES, Kubota is dedicated to innovating solutions tailored to specialty crop growers, including those in wine grapes, nuts, citrus and berries," said M. Brett McMickell, chief technology officer of Kubota North America. "Our working relationship with Agtonomy represents a significant milestone toward commercializing our vision for agricultural autonomy by merging our expertise and technology with Agtonomy's autonomous platform, enabling growers to optimize their operations. We have chosen to partner with Agtonomy due to its proven technology, successful engagement with growers and shared commitment to working alongside customers for continuous feedback."
The initial phase of this partnership will focus on integrating Agtonomy's capabilities starting with Kubota's popular M5N diesel tractor, widely utilized among grape, orchard, and similar operations. The phased rollout will be introduced to select growers, coupled with Kubota dealer support to ensure seamless integration into the grower's work loop.
"Partnering with Kubota, a global leader in agricultural equipment, is an exciting milestone for Agtonomy," said Tim Bucher, CEO and co-founder of Agtonomy. "Together, we're helping bring practical autonomy solutions to growers, accelerating the adoption of automation to improve efficiency, profitability, and sustainability on the farm."
Kubota's open innovation platform lends itself to collaborating with industry-leading partners, research institutions and universities to accelerate the development of transformative agricultural solutions. To that end, by merging Kubota's expertise with technology, this partnership with Agtonomy drives meaningful advancements that anticipate the future needs of the global agricultural sector.
"This collaboration exemplifies Kubota's commitment to open innovation, enabling us to anticipate and address the evolving needs of specialty crop farmers," said McMickell. "By working closely with growers and incorporating their feedback, we will refine autonomous capabilities, enhancing multi-vehicle support, offering flexible autonomy options and delivering a Kubota-driven technology ecosystem that improves efficiency and field operations."
Looking ahead, Kubota remains committed to providing customer choice without compromise and to iterating within its innovation cycle to explore additional power sources to allow for the expansion of more powertrain and autonomy solutions.
For more information, visit KubotaUSA.com/Innovation.
This story also appears on Agricultural Equipment Guide.
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