September/October 2024
FIRA preview and the latest in robotics, automation
Nut growers will join other specialty crop growers in viewing the latest in robotics and automation at this year’s International Forum of Agricultural Robotics, known as FIRA USA.
Scheduled for Oct. 22-24 in Woodland, California growers will view global specialty crop AgTech in action. The conference provides an opportunity to network, exchange feedback and to learn more about existing solutions through grower roundtables on specific crops, said Gwendoline Legrand, co-director for show sponsor FIRA and GOFAR (Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics).
“The end-users are the key. You can not develop disruptive solutions without having them in the loop,” Legrand said. “They need to share their vision, they need to touch, to test, to say ‘No, I want this that way’ and finally, get the exact systems that work for them. The growers’ needs is where everything started for FIRA. We are not showcasing and presenting robots and autonomous solutions as an end by themselves. Those machines need to represent a proper solution to specific needs, as diverse as the farmers are. The manufacturers understand that, and are very often building the solutions together with the growers, directly operating in the fields.”
Free grower admission
This year growers will receive free admission, a longtime World FIRA Europe policy that allows even more industry stakeholders and small to large-scale growers to leave the event with more autonomous and robotics technology information and vision, Legrand said.
To address the nut and tree fruit industry’s automation needs, the California Almond Board and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission are signed up as new sponsors.
Both organizations have long been part of FIRA USA support, promoting the event to their communities and visiting the show. This year, however, will be the first year the groups decided to sponsor the event, to highlight the problems faced by nut and tree fruit growers, and to help them discover stand-alone solutions already on the market, Legrand said.
As previous FIRAs explored many topics relating to ag robotics, organizers want this year’s education component to be as relevant as possible for growers, and include sessions designed to discuss issues growers are facing and existing autonomous solutions for individual crops.
Commodity group and research involvement are critical. Panelists are set to share stories on how the industry is “automation-ready” and provide examples of vendors working in the space with commodity groups and universities.
Tech solutions
The educational portion includes crop-specific themed roundtables covering topics including reducing spray drift and improving spray coverage in the almond and tree nuts industry. Other session topics include autonomous irrigation solutions for speciality crops and tree fruit automation.
Real-life field demos will display existing autonomous solutions from a variety of AgTech firms. FIRA plans to include suppliers of autonomous irrigation solutions, a big leap forward for this year’s edition, she said.
This year a new event is being offered — a pre-show bus tour, Oct. 17- 21. The Cal Ag Robotics Discovery Tour will show participants the latest in agricultural technology by visiting a wide range of farms across the Sacramento, Central and Salinas valleys.
The five-day tour will bring a broad vision into fruit and nut trees, vineyards and berries and vegetables, and supply a network of growers and participants at the stops, Legrand said.
The show will also tackle commodity commission funding, industry collaboration and automation readiness, with sessions showing participants the need for funding and investment to move products across the finish line, Legrand said.
France-based GOFAR is a nonprofit organization that promotes and develops the agricultural robotics sector at international level. For more information, visit fira-usa.com.
