Has anyone here used an autonomous tractor in an orchard?
This spring in east Georgia was tough - frost, heavy rain, and shorter application windows hit at the same time while labour was already hard to find.
Spraying five hectares takes two hours. Some blocks reach their sixth application while others are still on their fifth.
The pressure on drivers is real. Hours in a small cab, early mornings in remote fields and health risks - if something goes wrong mid-spray, the driver has to step out and risk direct contact with pesticides.
I believe autonomous tractors could change this.
No driver needed - operations managed remotely.
If you use them, how do they perform?