GrainsWest Summer 2018

The Food Issue 2018 grainswest.com 11 BY ANDREA HILDERMAN Beetingwinter NO LONGER THE STUFF OF SCIENCE FICTION, THE INVASION OF FARMS BY ROBOTS IS IMMINENT. DUBBED mobile agricultural robotic swarms—or MARS, for short—they are now primarily geared to seeding maize, but such vehicles are expected to eventually carry out various field tasks. A global farm-equipment manufacturer based in Duluth, Georgia, AGCO’s Fendt brand created the technology in collab- oration with Germany’s Ulm University of Applied Sciences using European Union funding. The first Xaver seeding robots, which resemble a wheeled camping cooler, will be shipped to EU customers this season, primarily in Germany. The company hopes to ramp up production in 2019. So far, field testing of the technology has been positive. “A three-hectare field was seeded in 2017, and harvest was success- ful,” said Sepp Nuscheler, senior communications manager with AGCO in Germany. “Xaver worked very well, considering all the GPS and other technology required.” Each system consists of six to 12 of the robotic units, and their transport trailer acts as a seed-refill station and recharger for their battery-operated electronic motors. While the farmer controls the robots using a cloud-based app, the robots record GPS and other data for each seed planted. Tough and lightweight, the units can reduce manhours and are able to operate 24 hours a day, as weather conditions per- mit. They are also expected to reduce the amount of seed used and minimize soil compaction. OVER THE WINTER OF 2017/18, CITY OF CALGARY central district manager for roads maintenance Jim Fraser oversaw the performance testing of beet juice brine as a replacement for the salt solution widely used as a de- icer. “Not only are we testing the beet brine, but we are evaluating the equipment required to use it efficiently,” he explained. “Results of preliminary testing are leading to confidence in the product, and the City plans to expand the scope of the trials as we’ve purchased, adapted or modified some additional pieces of equipment to work with the beet brine.” Supplied by LuGr Enterprises of Red Deer, Beet 55 is produced in Idaho where it is derived from sugar beet molasses in a salt brine, which is a waste product of the sugar-making process. Fraser noted that B.C. now uses about four million litres of beet brine on the Coquihalla highway annually. The naturally sticky stuff has both antifreeze and de-icing properties, and works to break down the bond between the road surface and snow and ice, preventing ice build- up. And while it may not entirely replace traditional salt and sanding products, this veggie juice reduces the need for their use by boosting their effectiveness. Fraser said it has the potential to reduce salt application rates, as well as keep roads and pathways ice-free longer, and can even be used to pre-treat these asphalt surfaces. Photos:CityofCalgary Now in wintertime use on B.C.’s Coquihalla highway, Calgary is boosting its use of beet juice brine as a road de-icer.