Approximately 500 growers descended on FIRA USA 2024 in Woodland, CA, seeking ag robots and other autonomous solutions. One big attraction to the conference is that rather than just exhibit, many of the companies show their machines in action.
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Attendees swamped many of the product demonstrations at the event. Organizers say there were 2,200 visitors to the event, including 500 growers. The previous year the event was held in Salinas, CA, “America’s Salad Bowl,” so this year the event was moved to Woodland, CA, an area more amenable to a wider range of crops, such as tree fruit and nuts.
Photo by David Eddy
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Where’s that driver? Agtonomy develops automation software, partnering with OEMs to integrate advanced automation equipment into agricultural equipment. In other words, a tractor such as this, which used to require an operator, can now be remotely driven.
Photo by David Eddy
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As might be expected, there was no shortage of dust on the demonstration grounds, which was apropos for grower-attendees who have complained that robots are not tough enough for specialty crops. Developers at the show emphasized their units are designed not for the lab but for dusty fields and can run for extended periods of time, as necessary.
Photo by David Eddy
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Showing that agricultural robots do not have to be large to make a splash, this MQ Autonomous Agritech M200 showed off its capabilities at the demonstrations. Made in China, it focuses on spraying, with the next unit in development focusing on weeding.
Photo by David Eddy
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Representatives of one of the companies demonstrating, farm-ng, noted growers are often put off by the high price of robots. They noted their base unit starts at a base price of $21,000. The Amiga robot weighs 320 pounds, with a payload of 1,000 pounds, and can run at a maximum speed of 5 mph for up to eight hours.
Photo by David Eddy
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Drone flies over FIRA USA 2024
Drone companies were represented at FIRA, such as this Skysense drone, pictured flying duringthe product demonstrations. (One nice feature of FIRA USA is that the afternoons are almost exclusively devoted product demonstrations, so attendees can get a close-up look at the machines in action.)
Growers have long sought to use drones, viewed as a cheaper version of crop dusters of the past. During one panel discussion, “Reducing spray drift and improving spray coverage in the almond/tree nuts industry,” growers said they were excited about the possibilities of drones.
However, they said that currently drones cannot deliver the inputs they need without constant refilling. Instead of widespread crop spraying, Skysense emphasizes its ability to precision-targeted spot spraying with state-of-the-art machine-learning technology.
The importance is obvious to most growers — the availability of labor is declining throughout the U.S., with no end in sight. It is no wonder that FIRA originated in France, as European specialty crop growers faced severe labor shortages years before their American counterparts.
Organizers said around 60 countries were represented at the show, now in its third year. Manufacturers from major OEMs to emerging start-ups showcased their innovations.
For the first time, the conference explored the automation needs across the entire production chain to emphasize that automation enhances efficiency across the entire value chain, not just in the orchards.
Dozens of manufacturers, from major OEMs to emerging start-ups, showcased their innovations. Over the past couple of years, organizers say the event’s synergy has produced several partnerships between start-ups and venture capital firms.
FIRA USA is supported and co-organized by Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation, Western Growers; and Gabriel Youtsey, Chief of Innovation, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Check out the photo gallery near the top of this article to scroll through scenes from FIRA USA 2024.
November 26, 2024 
