Kubota is working on a demonstration project to provide solutions for reducing the use of agrochemicals and labor in vineyards with Chouette, a French startup company in which Kubota has invested.
As excessive use of agrochemicals can pollute soil, water, and the atmosphere, a target has been set to decrease the use of chemical crop protection agents by 50% in Europe by 2030, as part of an effort to reduce environmental impact and achieve sustainable food production. Compared to field crops such as cereals, in vineyard farming, mechanization and precision agriculture are not as advanced so the use of smart farming technology is strongly expected.
Kubota and Chouette have been collaborating to develop solutions that reduce both the amount of chemical agents used and the labor required to monitor growth by integrating Chouette’s technology, which uses AI to detect disease and poor growth from vineyard imagery, and creates maps of optimal chemical application locations and volumes using Kubota’s tractors and sprayers.
Kubota will work with its European ag machinery dealers to identify sales and customer support challenges, aiming to commercialize the solution in a few years.
