Dec 13, 2022

2023 World Ag Expo releases new product winners

World Ag Expo is honoring companies competing in a new farm products competition. The event has named winners of the 2023 Top-10 New Products Competition. The winning entries are scheduled to be showcased during the Feb. 14-16 World Ag Expo in Tulare, California.

“The impressive field of new products were submitted for the contest by exhibitors of the largest annual agricultural show of its kind,” World Ag Expo officials said in a news release. Entries ranged from a safety innovation to autonomous robots to resource-saving products. Farmers, ranchers and industry professionals judged the entries.

Winners will be noted on show maps, marked with “Top-10 Winner” flags at the show, and recognized at a Feb. 14 awards session at the event’s opening ceremonies.

The competition is conducted yearly by the International Agri-Center in conjunction with World Ag Expo.

The winning entries as described by World Ag Expo (Click photos to enlarge):

BeeHome by Beewise, Oakland, California

The BeeHome seamlessly and automatically detects threats to a honeybee colony such as pesticides or the presence of parasites. The robotic system responds by addressing the threat in real-time, in the field. This round-the-clock surveillance and treatment requires no human intervention, and the device is compatible with existing beekeeping practices and infrastructure. With BeeHome, colony collapse of bees is reduced by as much as 80%, while operational costs are slashed by as much as 90%.

Bluewhite Pathfinder by Bluewhite, Fresno, California

Bluewhite’s Pathfinder transforms any brand of existing orchard or vineyard tractor into a fully autonomous fleet, capable of executing multiple tasks, such as spraying, applying herbicides, discing, mowing, or harvesting with high precision and operating efficiency. Pathfinder uses the unique fusion of multiple sensors, LIDAR, cameras, and GNSS, enabling safe navigation in every crop and application without the reliance on GPS/RTK or cellular connection, which is not available in all operating conditions.

Burro with Bitwise Agronomy – Superhuman Crop Scouting On-Board by Burro with Bitwise Agronomy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Bitwise Agronomy Crop Scouting helps farmers evaluate their crop by using cutting-edge AI technology to see “like humans” – but better. With Bitwise on-board, crop scouting is more accurate, more consistent, and analyzed at superhuman speeds. Bitwise can look at different phenological stages, as well as measure and count fruit volume (bunches or berries) to give actionable insights and information to predictive yield estimates for crops throughout the growing season. When operating on-board Burro as a “digital implement,” Bitwise Agronomy Crop Scouting operates seamlessly with Burro’s in-field autonomy for automatic real-time crop scouting.

Vulcan by FarmWise, Salinas, California

Vulcan is a category II three-point hitch implement that combines Titan’s ultra-precise weed removal capabilities with best-in-the-industry reliability, ease of operation, and adaptability to any field conditions. Vulcan can work on more than 15 different crop types (new crop types are added continuously through software updates) and has been designed to be easily maintained and repaired.

Herbicide GUSS by GUSS Automation, Kingsburg, California

Herbicide GUSS is a cutting-edge autonomous herbicide sprayer manufactured by GUSS Automation, LLC in Kingsburg, California. This driverless sprayer is built with multiple precision sensors designed to detect, target, and spot spray weeds on the orchard floor with the specific amount of material needed. This technology reduces the amount of chemical used which is better for our environment, reduces cost, and keeps employees safer.

Smart Sprayer by Mantis Ag Technology, Gonzales, California

Mantis introduces the most advanced and environmentally sustainable alternative to specialty crop sprayers: The Smart Sprayer. The Smart Sprayer features advanced visual recognition (VR) technology to precisely apply beneficial crop protection products to targeted plants. The VR technology combined with reliable and field-proven automation allows the Smart Sprayer to reduce off-target or excessive spraying of non-planted areas in the field. This results in both economic, environmental, and product performance gains and helps producers better manage crops, compliance requirements, and production logistics.

S5 Pressure Compensating Heavywall Dripline by Rain Bird, Azusa, California

Save water and energy while reducing chemical consumption with Rain Bird S5 Pressure Compensating Heavywall Dripline, the ultimate in smart irrigation. The “S” in S5 stands for “Smart Spacing.” Smart Spacing allows growers to specify repeating patterns of variable spacing between emitters to deliver water to plants and not the areas between. S5 Dripline uses Rain Bird’s proven Agricultural GritX self-Flushing emitter that features precise and accurate flow rates.

Seed Spider Digital Controller Mobile App by Sutton Agricultural Enterprises, Inc., Salinas, California

New to the Seed Spider system is the Digital Controller Mobile App. The app simplifies the calibration process, stores seeding history, calibrates metering units, tracks productivity and area planted, provides real-time fault detection, and compares current and historical seeding information. The Seed Spider online platform allows you to take data gathered from the Digital Controller app and view area planted on Google Maps and historical data on seeding such as time seeding, total seed weight dispensed, distance seeded, and seeding speed. The Digital Controller app replaces physical controllers on existing Seed Spider seeders and is standard on all new seeders.

Flying Autonomous Robots by Tevel

Tevel introduces a robotic fruit harvesting system, integrating eight Flying Autonomous Robots on a platform harvester made by S&S Metal Fabrication. The system is designed to work in different environments of modern 2D rows – whether in high-density fruit walls or V-trellis and is adaptable to different tree heights and row widths. The Flying Autonomous Robots™, powered by advanced AI and computer vision algorithms, continuously collect data on every piece of fruit picked, providing real-time harvesting data to the grower. Tevel’s robots have already picked apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, and pears in the United States, Europe, and Israel. This system will debut at the 2023 World Ag Expo.

World Ag Expo attracts more than 1,200 exhibitors and an estimated annual average of 100,000 individuals from 60 countries.