‘See and spray,’ automated tractors: two examples of technological advancements in agriculture

Minot, North Dakota – A fresh development in agricultural technology is on the horizon.

Many farm tech businesses are developing technology that detects weeds and sprays only those, according to Michael Bishop, owner of AgTech in Devils Lake. The John Deere variant is referred to as “See and Spray.”

Although multiple businesses are working on it, according to Bishop, no one has yet made it available for purchase.

”You’re starting to see more people get upset with pesticide use. If they can reduce it down to just the weed area. The overall amounts would be probably 10% of what they were,” said Bishop.

It depends on specific passes, he adds.

Bishop added that automatic tractors that turn on their own are also being developed.

He claims that these technological advancements reduce the necessity for human work, however, he is dubious by how much.