September/October 2024 - 8

AGTECH
FIRA PREVIEW
Nut trees added to FIRA USA ag robotics conference
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
N
ut growers
will join
other
specialty crop
growers in viewing
the latest in robotics
and automation
at this year's
International Forum
of Agricultural
Robotics, known as
FIRA USA.
by nut and tree fruit
growers, and to
help them discover
stand-alone solutions
already on the
At FIRA USA 2023, Orchard Machinery Corp. and Bonsai
displayed machinery that collects fruits and nuts that can't
be shaken onto the ground. Photo by Doug Ohlemeier.
Scheduled for Oct. 22-24 in Woodland, California growers
will view global specialty crop AgTech in action. The
conference provides an opportunity to network, exchange
feedback and to learn more about existing solutions through
grower roundtables on specific crops, said Gwendoline
Legrand, co-director for show sponsor FIRA and GOFAR
(Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics).
" The end-users are the key. You can not develop disruptive
solutions without having them in the loop, " Legrand said.
" They need to share their vision, they need to touch, to test, to
say 'No, I want this that way' and finally, get the exact systems
that work for them. The growers' needs is where everything
started for FIRA. We are not showcasing and presenting robots
and autonomous solutions as an end by themselves. Those
machines need to represent a proper solution to specific
needs, as diverse as the farmers are. The manufacturers
understand that, and are very often building the solutions
together with the growers, directly operating in the fields. "
Free grower admission
This year growers will receive free admission, a longtime
World FIRA Europe policy that allows even more industry
stakeholders and small to large-scale growers to leave the
event with more autonomous and robotics technology
information and vision, Legrand said.
To address the nut and tree fruit industry's automation
needs, the California Almond Board and the Washington Tree
Fruit Research Commission are signed up as new sponsors.
Both organizations have long been part of FIRA USA
support, promoting the event to their communities and visiting
the show. This year, however, will be the first year the groups
decided to sponsor the event, to highlight the problems faced
8 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024
market, Legrand said.
As previous FIRAs
explored many topics
relating to ag robotics,
organizers want this
year's education
component to be as
relevant as possible
for growers, and
include sessions
designed to discuss
issues growers are facing and existing autonomous solutions
for individual crops.
Commodity group and research involvement are critical.
Panelists are set to share stories on how the industry is
" automation-ready " and provide examples of vendors working
in the space with commodity groups and universities.
Tech solutions
The educational portion includes crop-specific themed
roundtables covering topics including reducing spray drift
and improving spray coverage in the almond and tree nuts
industry. Other session topics include autonomous irrigation
solutions for speciality crops and tree fruit automation.
Real-life field demos will display existing autonomous
solutions from a variety of AgTech firms. FIRA plans to
include suppliers of autonomous irrigation solutions, a big
leap forward for this year's edition, she said.
This year a new event is being offered - a pre-show bus
tour, Oct. 17- 21. The Cal Ag Robotics Discovery Tour will
show participants the latest in agricultural technology by
visiting a wide range of farms across the Sacramento, Central
and Salinas valleys.
The five-day tour will bring a broad vision into fruit and
nut trees, vineyards and berries and vegetables, and supply a
network of growers and participants at the stops, Legrand said.
The show will also tackle commodity commission funding,
industry collaboration and automation readiness, with sessions
showing participants the need for funding and investment to
move products across the finish line, Legrand said.
France-based GOFAR is a nonprofit organization that
promotes and develops the agricultural robotics sector at
international level. For more information, visit fira-usa.com.
http://www.fira-usa.com
September/October 2024

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