December 2022 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Labor needs spur innovation
in automation
Every week brings news of an ag-tech startup receiving an infusion of
venture capital. While app-based, data-driven solutions continue to see
their fair share of interest, hardware will be coming into the spotlight in
the years to come.
Our coverage of FIRA-USA, a robotics and
automation conference in Fresno, California
in October, begins in this issue and will
be the genesis of numerous stories in the
coming months. Panelists debated both
the hurdles to adoption and the factors
propelling growers to at least consider
adoption of robotic technology at their
operations.
Some drawbacks? The obvious ones come
to mind, and they're really no different than
the factors that usually slow tech advances:
* High buy-in for early adopters.
* Waiting for upgrades: Let others test
the first-gen tech to see if any bugs arise.
Chris Koger
Managing Editor
* Scalability: this is a key factor as larger growers wait for startups to
expand to meet their needs.
* Small farms: Several speakers noted that the most advanced
machinery will only be feasible for acreage-heavy farms.
The overwhelming reason that's driving adoption of robots and
automation is no surprise: labor. Necessity is the mother of invention,
and manufacturers are answering that call.
Leaders in this particular ag-tech space, for the time being, seem to
be sprayers, weeders and cultivators. Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder was
a crowd favorite, because ... LASERS. It was somewhat satisfying to see
the flash and puff of smoke, followed by the acrid smell of weed death.
It was mesmerizing to watch the metal " tines " on weeding equipment
from K.U.L.T. (Kress Umweltschonende Landtechnik), attached to Naio's
Orio robot, as they scrambled the dirt to kill their prey.
Regardless, if you're in the market for new equipment, you should
check out the roster of manufacturers present at FIRA-USA (fira-agtech.
com), and visit the individual company websites and YouTube to watch
demonstration videos. Since covering the event, I often find myself
watching videos of advances in farm equipment, and not just specialty
crops. Not to sound weird, but these videos just seem wholesome, like
something good is happening.
Back to the labor situation: it's interesting to note something brought
up by one of the panelists speaking at the event. Part of the American
dream, in the eyes of immigrant fieldworkers, is to make it possible that
their children have better opportunities. In some cases, that's led to a
college or trade education in technology. Unfortunately, tech companies
(and industries) can be unstable: the sector laid off 35,000 employees in
the first half of November, and cuts at Amazon, Meta, Twitter and other
companies have been announced in recent weeks.
But, with the advent of automation in fields and orchards, the industry
needs workers who can program, operate and oversee autonomous
vehicles. Sooner than later, companies adopting automation will be
posting jobs for their robotic programs. For that reason, it's highly likely
that some children of fieldworkers will be returning home with indemand
skills.
While labor is the main driver of this automation, FIRA-USA speakers
noted other benefits.
Smart sprayers can apply the right amount of herbicides/pesticides
via sensors that can detect the plant's needs. Mechanical weeders
and cultivators can kill weeds in their early stages, without the use
of chemicals. Other autonomous vehicles, equipped with powerful
vacuums, can remove bugs from a variety of crops. Other companies
make robots that use specific levels of light on the spectrum to kill bugs.
FIRA-USA will return in 2023, from Oct. 17-19. Organizers are
accepting sponsorships and exhibitor applications at https://airtable.com/
shrRzqhg3QbpYeCEk.
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4
| VegetableGrowersNews.com
USDA appoints fruit, vegetable industry advisory
committee members
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has
appointed 25 industry representatives to
serve on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry
Advisory Committee.
Vegetable
Growers
News.com
WATCH. READ. SHARE
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM
Tanimura & Antle celebrates 40th anniversary
On Nov. 10, 1982, two families who migrated
to the Salinas Valley chasing the California
dream shook hands and established a
company that would impact the fresh
produce and agriculture industry forever.
Salinas Valley farmers hit by lettuce virus
A virus spread by insects is causing widespread
damage to lettuce crops in the Salinas Valley,
the renowned Salad Bowl that provides more
than one-half of America's lettuce.
Ag group invests in autonomous tractors startup
Cooperative Ventures, a venture capital
fund formed by North American farm
cooperatives, announced its first investment.
It is investing in Sabanto, a hardware and
software company developing autonomous
capabilities in tractors.
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December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2022
