The challenge took place last year October at Agden Green Farm in Cambridge UK, starting at 09:00 AM and ending at 11:16 PM due to unfavorable weather. Within this period, the tractor and seeder covered 76 acres (30.7 ha).
For the challenge, a standard Agxeed tracked 5.115T2 Agbot was paired with a Kongskilde 6m Vibroseeder and a 1,900-litre front-mounted tank. The Agbot had preloaded field boundaries, so once each field was completed, a simple button press initiated movement to the next field. Fully loaded, the machine weighed 10,400 kg, but the wide 610 mm Zuidberg tracks the ground pressure was minimal. An ISObus seed monitoring system was also added to enable remote viewing of all 40 coulters while seeding.
The seeding took place across four heavy clay fields with the Vibroseeder operating at a depth of 8–10 cm, sowing Crusoe winter milling wheat at a rate of 225 kg/ha. The Agbot’s preset operating speed was 7 kph, with turning speeds reduced to 4.5 kph on the headlands. Engine load averaged a miserly 61% and average fuel consumption was only 17 litre per hour.
William Mumford of Agden Green Farm stated: “After receiving five months’ rain in four days, much of the area was waterlogged, making the AgBot’s light footprint essential for planting. Our wheeled tractors would have simply gotten stuck. Besides five seed fills, the machine performed perfectly. I’m confident the AgBot will give us a good start on the 190 acres of spring drilling.”
Once seeding was complete, the AgBot went on to pull a 6m set of Cambridge rollers over the same fields and others that were subsequently drilled. Next year, Mumford anticipates only the combine and sprayer will require manual operation, with the AgBot covering fertilizer spreading, cultivation, seeding, and rolling, relieving his 92-year-old father and other seasonal staff.
