OEMs double down on robotics and autonomy
Autonomy and AI dominated the show as manufacturers unveiled next-generation solutions to tackle labour shortages and boost farm efficiency.
- The Robotics Live Arena featured autonomous tractors, drones, and multi-task robots like the FarmDroid FD20, a solar-powered unit that automates seeding, weeding, and crop protection.
- CNH launched its R4 Autonomous Robot Family and AI-driven spraying systems, while Zoomlion showcased hybrid tractors with autonomous harrowing.
- Kubota partnered with Kilter to pilot an ultra-precise weeding robot.
- AGCO introduced RowPilot and SymphonyVision for precision spraying; CNH’s Sense & Act Spraying promises up to 80% herbicide savings and combine automation could add €70/ha in wheat revenue.
- New Holland presented a prototype of its autonomous R4 robot for orchards.
- John Deere unveiled its second-generation autonomous 9RX tractor, new F8 and F9 forage harvesters, a battery-electric E-Power tractor prototype, and expanded digital and alternative fuel solutions – underscoring trends in autonomy, electrification, and operator comfort.
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are investing heavily in R&D, product launches, and strategic partnerships to address workforce challenges driven by aging demographics, declining interest from younger generations, and rising operational demands.
Farmers are “definitely” ready for algorithm-driven decisions, CLAAS representatives told AgTechNavigator as the German machinery giant showcased its latest AI-powered innovation: a prototype weed detection system designed for grassland management.
The technology enables precise, spot-specific dock control without requiring a fully autonomous weeder. CLAAS aims to bring the system to market within five years, targeting European markets such as Germany, the UK, France, and Italy. The goal: to help farmers cut input costs, reduce herbicide use, and comply with EU sustainability regulations.
Magnus Rupp, project manager at CLAAS, explained that the system uses a camera-based platform trained to identify dock weeds (Rumex spp.), a persistent problem in grassland that reduces forage quality.
“We saw a clear need to help farmers detect these weeds before spraying,” Rupp said. “Rather than adding an extra process step, we trained our ‘CultiCam’ and equipped it with an algorithm to detect weeds during mowing.”
The system georeferences detected weeds and generates a digital map of the field post-mowing, showing plant locations and coverage. This data integrates into CLAAS’s digital ecosystem, enabling visualisation and decision support for farmers; precise calculation of herbicide volumes for spot-spraying; location-based treatment using compatible sprayers; and future reseeding plans for areas where weeds were eradicated.
“The big benefit is that there’s no additional process step,” Rupp noted. “Farmers get a digital map with plant counts, acreage, and pre-calculated spray mix requirements.”
Early proof-of-concept trials with a spray manufacturer showed up to 90% savings on herbicide use when weed coverage was around 10% of the field.
“We think pricing should allow an average farm to achieve payback within two years,” Rupp said.
Beyond cost savings, the system addresses regulatory pressures. In some EU regions, blanket spraying is already prohibited, making spot-spray technology essential.
“With this approach, we detect weeds while mowing and only treat where necessary,” Rupp added. “That means less time, lower fuel consumption, and significant reductions in chemical inputs.”
CLAAS also unveiled a prototype of the fully autonomous TORION Autonomy Connect wheel loader, designed for biogas plants and dairy farms to transform silage management. Using AI and LiDAR, the machine creates a digital twin of its environment, plans efficient routes, and handles material without an operator or GPS – ideal for indoor use or under tree rows.
“Some customers simply can’t find workers anymore, especially at biogas plants where loading and unloading is a daily challenge,” a CLAAS representative said. “For them, autonomy is the first priority.”
CLAAS is also embracing electrification. “Most farms in Germany have solar panels, so they’re keen to use their own electricity. That’s why we introduced our first fully electric machine this year.”
Autonomy meets climate challenges
Extreme weather is another driver. Floods, droughts, and storms shorten fieldwork windows, but autonomous vehicles can operate 24/7, seizing brief opportunities for seeding or harvesting. Equipped with GPS, LiDAR, radar, and AI, they navigate in rain, fog, dust, or low light – conditions that halt manned tractors.
“Weather conditions are far less stable than 20-30 years ago,” a John Deere representative noted. “There’s a much shorter window for critical tasks in the field.”
The need for comfort is growing
Comfort is an ongoing priority – accelerated by the ongoing labour shortage in agriculture. “Comfort is becoming increasingly important,” a CLAAS representative told AgTechNavigator. “Our new cabins are designed as highly comfortable work environments. Globally, it’s very difficult to find skilled workers and tractor drivers. If a customer invests in a new CLAAS model and operators know it offers superior comfort, it becomes much easier to attract them to the farm. During harvest, some drivers spend up to 16 hours a day in the cab, so ensuring comfort is absolutely essential.”
Size matters
One of the most talked-about launches at Agritechnica 2025 was Nexat’s 28-metre-wide gantry planter – among the widest ever displayed – capable of sowing up to 72 rows in a single pass.
The system features a central 14-metre toolbar flanked by two 7-metre outer wings, equipped with planting units sourced from partners in Canada and Brazil. Its modular, electrically driven design supports controlled-traffic farming, allowing farmers to swap interchangeable modules for tillage, seeding, spraying, and harvesting – significantly reducing soil compaction.
Operating at speeds of up to 16 km/h, the gantry can cover 100 hectares or more per day in long-field conditions. It is already in use in Brazil, with a second unit headed to Canada, signaling rapid global adoption of Nexat’s technology.
The system is designed for future autonomization, featuring: integrated electric wheel hub drives, a 360° rotatable cab and intelligent environmental monitoring.
These capabilities enable largely automated, precisely coordinated workflows. Field trials for autonomous operation are underway, demonstrating safe and efficient process management. The modular design supports full integration of cultivation, seeding, fertilization, crop protection, and harvesting, all controlled by the autonomous NEXAT carrier vehicle system.
“It’s one system for the farmer to increase profitability, yields, and sustainability,” said Nexat CEO Welf von Plato. “This is a real innovation – bringing a complete production system to the field, not just a combine or seeder. We’re 100% convinced we can increase profitability by reducing machinery costs by up to 20%.”
New AI tools for dealerships
Robert Saik, CEO of T1 Technology Corporation, highlighted a critical gap in the agricultural equipment market: the need for AI tools that help dealers quickly resolve maintenance issues reported by farmers in the field.
T1’s AgVisorPro platform addresses this challenge by allowing equipment dealers to submit questions via an app, which are then algorithmically matched to relevant experts for rapid responses.
“When you’re an equipment dealer, you’re often handling multiple brands,” Saik explained. “If you’re a New Holland dealership, you’ll also manage other brands, each with its own service portal. You might have 15 tabs open on your screen.”
Currently, if a farmer reports a sprayer boom that won’t fold, a dealership technician might spend 40 minutes searching PDFs for the right fix. AgVisorPro aims to change that. ““VisorPro automatically pulls the most recent information on that problem from the manufacturer’s data the dealer is authorized to access. What used to take 40 minutes now happens in a split second.”
Saik revealed strong interest from OEMs. “We’re walking away from the show with four NDAs. OEMs are starting to recognize that dealers use multiple technologies. VisorPro is one of the first solutions of its kind globally. If an OEM connects with VisorPro, any technical update they make is instantly received by every user.”
The company is also targeting smaller OEMs that lack the budget to develop their own AI systems.
Despite the excitement around AI, Saik emphasized that data quality is the real bottleneck: “There might be seven different data sets for one vehicle model. People think AI is sexy – and it is – but it’s about the data, stupid. If the data isn’t good, then the AI is no good.”
Are interoperability challenges set to be solved?
Interoperability challenges are a major issue in agriculture, stemming from fragmented data systems, proprietary formats, and incompatible technologies that hinder precision farming, supply chain efficiency, and innovation.
The Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF) unveiled the Agricultural Interoperability Network (AgIN) at Agritechnica 2025 – a standardized global gateway designed to connect equipment manufacturers, data hubs, Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS), and service providers for brand-agnostic data sharing.
AgIN tackles long-standing integration gaps between proprietary agricultural platforms by enabling secure, cloud-to-cloud exchange of machine data, work orders, prescription maps, and as-applied records. Farmers and contractors can continue using their preferred software without compatibility issues, while maintaining data control, regulatory compliance, and avoiding extra fees or multiple logins.
In development for two years, AgIN is scheduled for initial release in March 2026, with full production planned for September 2026. AEF – founded in 2008 by major manufacturers including John Deere and AGCO – funds and manages the network through its member companies.
Slawi Stasny, senior product manager for Connectivity & Data Management at AGCO Corporation and lead for the AgIN initiative, explained: “We’ve solved the interoperability challenge by creating a framework and toolkit that addresses scalability, legal requirements, and architecture for multi-participant integration. Our focus is on real-world use cases – mixed fleets and seamless machine-software operability in agriculture.”
Without AgIN, farmers often need to manually adapt data and determine machine compatibility, effectively becoming “data experts” to make systems work together. Stasny added: “That’s no longer necessary. AgIN enables platforms to interconnect effortlessly. Think of it like buying on Amazon and paying with PayPal – two separate systems working seamlessly together. This is what AgIN delivers for hardware and software in the field.”
Efficiency is everything
Notwithstanding the jaw-dropping innovations on display, efficiency and reliability still dominate buyer concerns. “Farmers want bigger tanks, bigger booms, and faster filling systems so they can spray an entire field in one shift,” said Jan Kovarik, head of sales at Agrio, the Czech Republic’s largest field sprayer. He believes rising input costs and falling crop prices are driving demand for machines that save time and fuel.
“The bigger sprayers cost more upfront, but when you calculate the savings on fuel, labour, and downtime over 15 years, it’s a smart investment,” Kovarik said. Interest in large-scale machines is climbing fast, but he added that Agrio’s customers value aftersales support even more than the hardware itself.
“We’re still in a sales trough,” a John Deere representative pointed out. John Deere’s equipment sales have generally declined over the last two years, especially in its core agricultural machinery business. High financing costs and tight margins mean customers are often repairing old machines instead of buying new, he said. “Cost control is the priority this year.”
Beyond steel and horsepower: Farming’s emotional heartbeat
Lastly, the emotional bond between farmers and machinery was evident at Agritechnica 2025. Families crowded the halls, children perched on shoulders as parents queued for a chance to sit inside flagship tractors from major brands. The longest lines were those at the merch stores. Groups of young men swigging beer early in the morning added to the festival-like atmosphere. These scenes may seem trivial, but they underscore a powerful truth: for farmers, machinery is more than metal, it’s identity, pride, and aspiration.
