World Ag Expo picks its Top 10 new products

The organizers of World Ag Expo have announced the winners of its 2023 Top 10 New Products Competition. The winners will be showcased during the event February 14-16, 2023, in Tulare, Calif.

The field of new products were submitted for the contest by exhibitors of the annual agricultural show. Products ranged from a safety innovation to autonomous robots to resource-saving products. The contest judges consisted of farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals.

Winners will be noted on show maps, marked with “Top 10 Winner” flags at the show, and recognized at an awards session at World Ag Expo Opening Ceremonies on Tuesday, February 14.

The competition is conducted annually by the International Agri-Center in conjunction with World Ag Expo. The annual outdoor event draws more than 1200 exhibitors and an average of 100,000 individuals from 60 countries.

To be eligible, exhibitors must nominate their products for judging by the Oct. 31 deadline.

For 2023, there are several winners that will be of interest to readers of Diesel Progress and New Power Progress.

Bluewhite said its Pathfinder transforms any brand of existing orchard or vineyard tractor into a fully autonomous fleet. (Photo: World Ag Expo)

Bluewhite Pathfinder by Bluewhite

Fresno, Calif.

Bluewhite’s Pathfinder transforms any brand of orchard or vineyard tractor into a fully autonomous fleet, capable of executing multiple tasks. Pathfinder uses the fusion of multiple sensors, LIDAR, cameras and GNSS for navigation in every crop and application without the reliance on GPS/RTK or cellular connection.

Burro’s Bitwise Agronomy crop scouting helps farmers evaluate their crop by using AI technology to see “like humans.” (Photo: World Ag Expo)

Burro with Bitwise agronomy crop scouting

Philadelphia, Pa.

Bitwise Agronomy crop scouting helps farmers evaluate their crop by using AI technology to see “like humans.” 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 operates seamlessly with Burro’s in-field autonomy for automatic real-time crop scouting.

GUSS Automation has won is its third Top 10 New Product award thanks to its new autonomous herbicide sprayer. (Photo: World Ag Expo)

Herbicide GUSS by GUSS Automation

Kingsburg, Calif.

For GUSS Automation, it is the company’s third Top 10 New Product award. The company said its new autonomous herbicide sprayer is the first and only autonomous herbicide orchard sprayer on the market. It removes the driver from the tractor to save labor and eliminate exposure to the chemicals being sprayed.

GUSS Automation debuted GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) in 2018 at World Ag Expo and mini GUSS in 2021 for vineyard and high-density orchards. Both autonomous sprayers were awarded Top 10 New Product for the show.

The company said the technology used by the sprayers allow a single operator to monitor any combination of up to eight GUSS, mini GUSS and Herbicide GUSS sprayers from their vehicle to improve productivity, increase precision and efficiency, reduce operational and overhead costs and enhance worker safety.

Smart Sprayer by Mantis Ag Technology

Gonzales, Calif.

Mantis introduced a 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 automation allows the Smart Sprayer to reduce off-target or excessive spraying of non-planted areas in the field. 

The Tevel robotic fruit harvesting system integrates eight Flying Autonomous Robots on an S&S Metal Fabrication platform harvester. (Photo: World Ag Expo)

Flying Autonomous Robots by Tevel

Gedera, Isreal

Tevel introduced a robotic fruit harvesting system, integrating eight Flying Autonomous Robots on a platform harvester made by California’s S&S Metal Fabrication. The system is designed to work in different environments of high-density fruit walls or V-trellis and is reportedly adaptable to different tree heights and row widths. The Flying Autonomous Robots, powered by 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 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.

Vulcan by FarmWise

Salinas, Calif.

Vulcan is a Category II three-point hitch implement that combines Titan’s weed removal capabilities with what it calls 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 through software updates) and has been designed to be easily maintained and repaired.

Seed Spider app by Sutton Agricultural Enterprises

Salinas, Calif.

The new app simplifies the Seed Spideer 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 online platform allows farmers to take data gathered from the digital controller app and view the area planted on Google Maps and historical data on seeding such as time seeding, total seed weight dispensed, distance seeded, and seeding speed. The app replaces physical controllers on existing Seed Spider seeders and is standard on all new seeders.

BeeHome by Beewise

Oakland, Calif.

The BeeHome 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. 

Haytech by Quanturi

Palo Alto, Calif.

Haytech is a smart solution designed to improve the profitability of hay production. It monitors the entire storage site 24/7 regardless of the size of haystacks. Haytech is a ready-to-use pack comprising durable wireless probes, base station, visualization services and alerts.

S5 dripline by Rain Bird

Azusa, Calif.

The technology of the Rain Bird S5 pressure compensating heavywall dripline  helps famers save water and energy while reducing chemical consumption. The “S” in S5 stands for “Smart Spacing,” which the company said allows growers to specify repeating patterns of variable spacing between emitters to deliver water to plants.