ROBO-CROP

Farm droids could soon be common sight in fields

- BY BAIRBRE HOLMES

IN the near future the sight of robots trundling through rural fields could be as familiar as that of combine harvesters and tractors, according to Professor Gerry Lacey.

The robotics expert, along with his team of "enthusiastic young people", are working on experiments to push the boundaries of modern farming at the Automating Regenerative Agriculture (Aura) project at Maynooth University. Using a hectare of land in Co Kildare they are exploring how robotics and artificial intelligence can pick crops more efficiently, tackle weeds more effectively and integrate solar panels into the everyday work of a farm.

Prof Lacey believes technology is key to solving the looming problem of how to feed the world's growing population.

He added: "By 2050, we're going to have to feed 10 billion people, which means that we have to increase the amount of food on Earth by 56% but we need to do that without using any more land.

"We also need to do that while we reduce the emissions from agriculture."

Despite the growing population, there are fewer people interested in working in agriculture and Prof Lacey said this is contributing to "field waste" where viable produce gets destroyed or left behind during harvesting.