How We Grow

TECHNOLOGY We have entered a new era in the evolution of farm equipment. 185-year-old farm machinery giant John Deere kicked off 2022 with the announcement that its new fully autonomous 8R tractor was ready for large-scale production. 1 This followed their acquisition of Bear Flag Robotics a few months prior, whose technology retrofits traditional tractors to make them autonomous. 2 The John Deere 8R is likely more of a fit for Midwest row crop agriculture, but it symbolizes a shift in American agriculture toward autonomy. In almond orchards, there are already autonomous options for tasks like making applications, mowing and discing, with several other potential use cases on the horizon. Labor savings, efficiency gains and cost reductions are a few reasons to explore these technologies and the options are more accessible than you might think. More efficiency, more savings Almond production is highly mechanized, efficient and not as labor-intensive as some of the other specialty crops. But with labor costs and regulations continuing to rise, attracting, affording and retaining qualified employees is a real challenge. When Kingsburg-based Crinklaw Farm Services had trouble filling the seats of 130 spray rigs in its custom spraying fleet, owner Dave Crinklaw was determined to find a solution. Three years later, the first fully autonomous sprayer was ready for operation and GUSS Automation was born. "We were sending guys two to four hours away from home," said GUSS COO Gary Thompson. "They spray all night long at two miles an hour. It's just a challenging position to hire for and get people who want to do this work." Now, one employee can operate up to eight autonomous sprayers at once using a laptop, attending to the sprayer only if there is a problem and when it needs to be refilled. Not only does this allow for fewer employees per sprayer, but it's also a more enjoyable job for the operator and allows for a more efficient process. "Two miles an hour is what most pest control advisers are going to suggest for spraying," Thompson said. "Trying to get your drivers to do two miles an hour all night long when they're spraying is very challenging. But autonomous sprayers don't mind. You're getting a much more precise spray." This level of automated consistency allows growers to maximize investments in fuel, labor and chemical inputs. Thompson also points to refilling time, which tends to go much quicker with an autonomous sprayer, who doesn't need a break. "The nurse truck driver pulls up, he jumps out, there's nobody to talk to. He hooks up the hose, fills it and three minutes later it's spraying again," he said. The gains from autonomy are not just about reducing employee headcount. These technologies can improve the nature of the work for employees. Rather than sitting on a piece of equipment for hours trying to keep it right at two miles per hour, farm employees can focus on higher-value tasks. Driver Optional There are many reasons why growers would still want the option to drive the tractor rather than operating it autonomously. Monarch Tractor, for example, sells a compact, driver-optional tractor that is compatible with existing farm implements. It offer another big potential cost savings to growers as well: the unit is 100% electric with a swappable battery. "Save money on diesel, reduce your emissions to meet sustainability metrics that buyers are asking for, and 1 "John Deere Reveals Fully Autonomous Tractor at CES 2022" https://bit.ly/3D5xmHX 2 "John Deere Acquires Bear Flag Robotics to Accelerate Autonomous Technology on the Farm" https://bit.ly/3KYBpIa New Technology Will Drive the Industry, but Will Anyone Be at the Wheel? Innovations like GUSS' autonomous sprayers are being explored in many different nut crops. Courtesy: Global Unmanned Sprayer Systems (GUSS) 9

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