Kubota is planning to offer comprehensive solutions for the customers in the fruit growing business through a partnership

Grapefarm

The partnership will determine the feasibility of autonomous orchard and vineyard farming system. (Credit: Alexander Vollmer from Pixabay)

Japan-based Kubota has collaborated with Dutch crop intelligence company Aurea Imaging to commence a technology demonstration.

Under a year-long strategic partnership, the companies will determine the feasibility of autonomous orchard and vineyard farming systems, which combine Kubota’s machine technology with Aurea’s crop intelligence technology.

The firms will conduct a year-long joint demonstration to further advance the Aurea’ services

Under the deal, the companies will carry out a year-long joint demonstration to further advance the services of Aurea.

Aurea’s advanced sensing technology and Kubota’s farming machinery for fruit farms are said to complement each other. The companies will integrate their technologies to demonstrate the feasibility of autonomous orchard and vineyard farming systems in Europe.

Via the partnership, Kubota intends to provide comprehensive solutions for the customers in the fruit growing business.

In June 2019, Kubota introduced an Innovation Centre as a division to pursue open innovation based on coordination with external partners.

The Innovation Centre, which is currently situated in Japan and the Netherlands, will help meet the unique requirements of each geographic region.

Kubota has also announced plans to invest in three US-based start-ups with advanced technologies for growing fruit.

Aurea combines data collected by drones and IoT sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to provide solutions such as yield prediction and soil mapping for fruit growers.

With advanced expertise in drone mapping services, Aurea has developed a global network for data collection by drones.

In April, Kubota invested an undisclosed amount in FarmX, a US-based agtech start-up offering a crop management platform.

Founded in 2014, FarmX provides an all-in-one platform to manage and automate irrigation, minimise crop stress and maximise yield.