Agco’s recent spending spree on six technology companies has borne its first fruit, with the tentative unveiling of a retrofit system that allows tractors to ferry grain from the combine to the field edge without a driver.

Outrun is the new headline act in the firm’s “retrofit first” strategy, which focuses on developing equipment that can be fitted to older machines from any brand.

This will make it cheaper for farmers to invest in the latest technology, the company says, and gives it access to a far larger market without relying solely on sales of new tractors and combines.

Initial versions will work with John Deere 8R Autopowr machines from 2014 onwards and Fendts of various vintages, though the system will be rolled out to other makes and models in the future.

See also: Driverless tractors – which manufacturer is leading the race?

Automated unloading

Central to its workings are Lidar and Doppler radar sensors that monitor the tractor’s surroundings, combined with Trimble’s RTK guidance and autonomy packages that must be fitted in both tractor and combine.

Once beckoned by the combine driver, the grain cart will commute from its set “waiting” place and position itself under the spout.

Here, it will automatically speed-match the combine, with the driver able to ease it forward or backward on an in-cab tablet to fill the front, centre or rear of the trailer.

Once the tank has emptied, the tractor will trundle back to the field edge or to a predefined unloading point, where the grain, if carried in a chaser bin, can be transferred into a haulage truck.

Some manual operation is still required, either to fire up the chaser auger to unload, or drive the tractor back to the yard to tip.

According to Agco, single operator farms will see the biggest return on investment thanks to the significant time savings from being able to unload on the move.

It could also cut down on errors leading to grain wastage due to sleepy corn cart drivers misaligning the trailer, or spills caused when the combine comes to a sudden halt due to a header blockage during unloading.

More options

The Outrun kit is being demoed on 10 tractors in South America and the first production version is expected to be launched next year.

Agco is already working on further uses for the so-called “master and slave” system.

As well as getting two grain carts to work with a single combine, the aim is to adapt it for tillage, with an autonomous tractor working alongside a manned vehicle in the same field.

There’s no official word on price, but the company says it will involve an upfront purchase followed by a subscription model based on the number of hours it is used.

It will be sold through PTx Trimble, a new company formed earlier this year following the $2bn joint venture agreement between Agco and Trimble.

Much of the hardware and software emanates from Agco’s acquisition of Winnipeg-based ag electronics and software specialist JCA Industries for a reported C$63m (£36m) in 2022.