Exploring the Potential of Autonomy in Agriculture: The Gradual Approach with Retrofit Kits

Autonomy is a topic of great interest in the Technology Corner, with retrofit kits being used for various tasks such as mowing and tillage. However, the use of autonomy for planting cover crops is still in its early stages. Jake Warford, a precision specialist at Linco-Precision in Nokomis, Ill., believes that they have only just begun to explore the full potential of autonomy in their customers’ operations.

Currently, Linco-Precision’s focus is on the sod market, which requires frequent mowing over large areas and is labor-intensive. Warford sees opportunities for autonomy in more row crop applications, including fertilizer and lime spreading as well as cover crop planting. He has personally used autonomy to sow cover crops and wheat last year, demonstrating the endless possibilities for its application in agriculture.

At Linco-Precision, the Sabanto autonomy kit is offered as a solution for implementing autonomy in farming operations. Warford explains that Sabanto’s philosophy is to take a gradual approach to autonomy technology, starting with crawling before moving on to walking and running phases. Currently, they are still in the walking phase as they continue to explore and expand the use of this technology in agriculture.