Driverless Tractors and Drones Lead Innovations at Saskatchewan's Ag in Motion Exhibition

Saskatchewan's premier outdoor farm exhibition, Ag in Motion, has returned, spotlighting cutting-edge agricultural technology northwest of Saskatoon. The event transforms over 100 acres into a hub for more than 600 exhibitors, presenting the latest in farming equipment and crop varieties.

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What we see operators do is let OutRun take care of some of their simpler tasks, like tilling, cultivating or grain cart operation and then deploying their existing people to the more complex tasks.

A key innovation on display is PTx's OutRun, a device that allows tractors to operate autonomously. Senior project manager Dinen Subramaniam explained that the system helps farmers with simpler tasks like tilling and grain cart operation. This allows existing personnel to focus on more complex duties. The OutRun kit, available in Canada for the first time, requires professional installation and can be moved between machines. It also includes cameras for remote monitoring.

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Whether it’s heavy wind, heavy rainfall, how much heat is coming in, solar radiation, we can track that for the customers all in their field for them.

OutRun is one of many innovations addressing current farming challenges, including rising costs, shrinking profit margins, and unpredictable weather. Crop Intelligence offers monitoring devices and weather stations that provide farmers with crucial data on soil and growing conditions. Territory business agronomist Alana Serhan noted that the company aims for a future where its hardware can autonomously manage fields and optimize crop yields using AI.

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So helping them understand current conditions, rainfall, and fertility to be able to give them an idea of what yield potential would be.

Drones are also a prominent feature, with AG Drones Inc. chief pilot Darcy Day highlighting their increasing capabilities. "Now the drones are at a spot where they can do some good acreage, so they’re getting bigger, they’re getting better, they’re getting safer," Day said. Drones are accelerating operations for tasks ranging from monitoring to seeding, and regulatory advancements, including Health Canada's approval for drone pesticide use, are further boosting their adoption.

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Now the drones are at a spot where they can do some good acreage, so they’re getting bigger, they’re getting better, they’re getting safer.