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The autonomous tractor Robotti made a strong debut in Bulgaria, during BATA Agro 2021.
Digitalization is the direction for successful agricultural production, and NIK proved it once again with participation in the specialized exhibition BATA AGRO 2021 in Stara Zagora. NIK showed a wide variety of digital solutions for farm management, but without a doubt, the greatest interest was aroused by the first autonomous tractor in Bulgaria – Robotti.
We are glad to see that during the exhibition, not only did we receive questions on how the machine actually works, but also specific questions like “When can I have it?”. This is a sign of innovative thinking of the farmers in our country as well as modern development of the sector. – shared Kaloyan Kumanov
Robotti definitely is a machine from the future since the control is entirely remote. The field boundaries are set, and the machine calculates and outlines the best-optimized route for processing.
Robotti is equipped with two Kubota diesel engines, the latest generation that meets the Stage V emissions standard. It has a three-point hitch system that allows you to attach much different equipment – all of them standard. Working speed varies from 5 to 10 km/h depending on the process. This allows operation for up to 20 hours before refueling. Its consumption, which is between 3 and 6 liters /hour, makes it many times more economical than standard tractors.
The autonomous tractor Robotti has a well-developed safety system. Through a camera and a laser that scans the field, the tractor reacts instantly to obstacles (animal, pole, etc.) and automatically stops working. It also has an additional braking system, which can be activated via a remote button if required.
The NIK technical team has been searching for the best autonomous tractor for two years, shares Enrico Bighi- Development Manager of the Italian representative office of the group of companies NIK.
The list with similar products was long when we first started the market research, but we knew exactly what we are searching for in our autonomous tractor. We wanted a product with good economical and agronomic benefits, market-ready because a prototype didn’t work for us. The price, reliability, and availability of the tractor with spare parts were certainly important for us. Our choice was definite – at the moment Robotti is the only product ready for use for real fieldwork. More than 20 autonomous tractors of this brand are already working in several European countries.
The manufacturer of the innovative autonomous tractor is AgroIntelli – a Danish company with a 20-year history, which has nearly 50 engineers, fully specialized in the development of autonomous machines.
“We will partner with NIK in Bulgaria and Romania. The reason for working together is their modern thinking and perfect reputation among farmers using precision farming. At the same time, they have a good sales network and an experienced team, which is extremely important for a good partnership with farmers. “– said Frederic Rom, Sales Director at AgroIntelli
Together with AgroIntelli, NIK continues to work to adjust the machine to the requirements and needs of Bulgarian farmers.
The main advantage of Robotti is that it solves a major problem of the farmers- the labor shortages, said Enrico Bighi / Kaloyan Kumanov:
“We are not looking for a robot because it’s better than a human. We are looking for a robot because our farmers have serious issues finding operators. The other problem is that even if they find operators for the machines, the training and entry time coincide with the seeding, harvesting, or spraying campaigns. The problem is not only for Bulgarian farmers. The situation is the same in Romania, in Italy. This is a worldwide case. And this autonomous tractor provides a solution to the problem.”
The model that was presented to the guests of BATA AGRO had made two seeding demonstrations with a Kverneland Monopill seeder just before the exhibition – one in Romania and one in the demo fields of NIK in the village of Izgrev in Shumen.
The autonomous Robotti tractor is ready to use and can be purchased from the official dealer in Bulgaria- NIK, as the delivery time is between one and two months.
The new integrated agronomic service from NIK- Soil Health, which was presented shortly before BATA Agro, also received great interest from the farmers during the exhibition. The agronomists of NIK Agro Service- Nadezhda Atanasova and Poliksena Marinova told more about Soil Health.
The service explores the qualities of the soil and its potential to function as a balanced ecosystem. It was developed by Cornell University (USA), and together with NIK it is adapted to the Bulgarian soil and climatic conditions and needs of farmers. The main service of Soil Health is the analysis of chemical, physical and biological indicators of the soil.
The agronomist team in NIK inspects the fields and the necessary field measurements, in parallel with the taking of soil samples. They are analyzed in the laboratory with an extended range of analyzes, including microbiological, physical, and chemical. An individual assessment is prepared for each block, according to the approved methodology. As a final result, the NIK team prepares a comprehensive report, which contains all the results of the analysis and proposes a plan for management and improvement of the indicators through short-term and long-term measures.
Through this comprehensive assessment of soil health, farmers can build an overall picture of their soil – what its strengths and weaknesses are.
The new Soil Health service is extremely useful for farmers who are looking at conservation agriculture.
A new software platform was presented for the first time at BATA AGRO, which will unite in one portal the data from the various digital solutions that NIK currently offers to farmers, namely agronomic services AgroBalance and Soil Health, the crop monitoring platform GeoScan, and the FarmTrack fleet tracking solution.
The new solution provides farms with access from one place to the results of soil analyzes, variable fertilization maps, data from the tracking of machine inventories, tracking the movement of pivot systems, data from weather stations, and much more. Thus, all data (big data) from the farm are one click away.
For the first time at BATA AGRO, NIK presented the brand Horizon Agriculture. The companies have been partners since the autumn of 2020 and offer Bulgarian farmers solutions for No-till and Strip-till agriculture through spring and autumn planters and cultivators.
An interesting fact is that the founder of Horizon Agriculture is George Sly, who has extensive experience in the company SLY, which specializes in the production of equipment for No-till agriculture. Currently, with his team of engineers in the UK, George is developing technology and refining every detail of the inventory so that it is as useful as possible for the farmer and at the same time gentle on the soil.
Horizon Agriculture’s frames combine perfectly with the world leader Precision Planting, so farmers can build the ideal modular solution for autumn or spring seeding that can be upgraded over time. Examples of such modular drills were the planter PPX and the seeder DSX. An interesting fact about the autumn No-till seed drill is that the exhibit is personalized to apply 5 products with a variable rate during seeding, which minimizes tillage and the accompanying seeding fertilization.
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