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There have been recent developments in (1) sensing and perception, (2) variable rate technologies, and (3) machine optimization in agriculture. Such automated systems have potential for use in agricultural production and consist of multiple functional components that enable them to perform pre-determined tasks. Developments include optical guidance systems, vision-based systems, automation and process monitoring, and the precision application of fertilizer, herbicide, and seeding. Optical guidance systems use either laser or machine vision to enable better positioning of the tractor relative to the crop. Vision-based systems increase situational awareness of the tractor operator and thereby improve safety. Sensors for process monitoring include grain yield and protein sensors which make georeferenced measurements to provide maps of yield and protein variability in the crop. These data can be used with a number of precision agriculture (PA) techniques. New variable rate technologies use section control of functional implements to reduce seeding or herbicide overlap. A communication Standard (ISO 11783) has been developed through collaboration between tractors and implement manufacturers. Engineering performance and optimization of tractors has taken various elements of tractor operation that are typically performed by a human operator and turned them toward automation, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and reduced wear on the vehicles. The essential functions of the new developments in automation and their commercial availability are discussed and reviewed, from which recommendations for future research were developed.

Crop nitrogen (N) management is one of many important agricultural applications that can benefit from crop sensing. The technologies in this field are advancing rapidly, including: (1) sensor-carrying platforms, (2) the sensors themselves, and (3) the analytical techniques used to derive actionable information from the data. A review of commercially and semi-commercially available platforms was undertaken to inform sensor mounting, with particular focus on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensor platforms and unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) sensor platforms. The UAV and UAG platforms provide indirect and direct measurements for crop monitoring and N mapping with the goals of being low-cost, on-site, and versatile. Optical crop sensing techniques and systems for N management are also discussed, because destructive sampling and laboratory analyses are expensive and often not practical for site-specific management of N. The optical properties of the plant are significant because they are related to water content, leaf senescence, disease, and nutrient status, which can inform farming decisions. Additionally, Red, Green and Blue (RGB) imaging can provide a plant height assessment for multiple measurements, including: yield potential, biomass, density, uniformity, and planter skips. The work reported in this paper includes a comparison of various optical sensors for plant measurements, including: vis-NIR, Machine Vision, and 3D-imaging, with camera varieties such as multispectral, fluorescence, hyperspectral, thermal, and visible. Key recommendations have been provided for the development of data aggregation and decision support tools including the data sources to be used in development of machine learning models, software/data standardization efforts, and corporate collaborations regarding big data. In conjunction with the sensors and their platforms, this advancing field of management technology can provide intelligent sensing and intelligent decisions.

Operations at meat processing plants result in the production of a range of solid and liquid wastes. Traditional solid waste management practices in Australia include rendering of offal, bones and blood into saleable products (example bone meal), composting (on-site and off-site) and off-site disposal whereas wastewater is treated on-site using anaerobic lagoons. The last decade has seen considerable interest in alternative technologies for the treatment of solid and liquid waste driven by a range of factors including rapidly increasing energy and fertilizer costs, increasing costs of disposal, odor emission and urban encroachment onto traditional rural areas and the potential for improved regulatory compliance. This work provides an overview of closed-loop opportunities for the production of bioenergy and bioproducts using solid and liquid waste at Australian red meat processing facilities. Our investigations undertaken at one of Australia’s largest processing plants have centered on developing tools and practices that better manage waste streams. This work will present results on biogas process optimization of a covered high rate anaerobic lagoon including addition of trace elements and investigation of crust management strategies. The use of solid organic waste in co-digestion and investigations into the reuse of paunch as a fertilizer are also provided. In addition, a review of value added products in the form of blood products was carried out to identify new opportunities in this area.

Farming has recently experienced increasing automation, and further development is likely to include systems of multiple robots. Such systems will require development in machine-to-machine communication, telematics and infield communication, and data infrastructure for more sophisticated autonomy and decision support. Machine-to-machine communication technologies involve direct radio links between vehicles and are used to improve logistics and efficiency of multiple vehicle operation. Additionally, this type of communication enables the sharing of coverage maps and guidance lines to coordinate operations such as seeding, nutrient application and spraying, and grain unloading during harvest. Within machine-to-machine communication there are two major groupings: leader-follower technologies, and multi-robot systems. Within the multi-robot systems grouping are three sub-groupings: multi-robot interaction, multi-robot guidance, and control architecture. A number of telematics and infield communication solutions have been developed by tractor manufacturers, but it is unclear how open these communication platforms are and how well multiple systems are able to interact. Recent emergence of cloud-based farm management platforms (e.g., OnFarm®), which aim to integrate data from multiple sensors, vehicles, weather, and other sources across multiple manufacturers, and also to include decision support systems, could provide a more versatile data infrastructure in the future. This paper reviews and discusses the current state of communication systems, including patents, and the required improvements for universal commercial viability.

Developments in agricultural machinery navigation include tractor guidance and steering control systems, machine operation and path planning systems. Tractor guidance and steering control technologies have been in commercial use for two decades. These systems enable tractors to be positioned precisely in the field or relatively to the crop with minimal driver interaction. This reduces driver fatigue, frees the driver to better monitor implement and machine operations, and with suitable position accuracy, which differs based on the underlying positioning technology (e.g., real time kinematic (RTK) GNSS, crop sensors), more advanced agronomic techniques such as inter-row seeding are therefore feasible. One of the primary benefits of guidance technology is the reduction in overlap during seeding, spraying, fertilizing and harvesting, which optimizes both input costs and machine efficiency. All major tractor manufacturers offer some form of guidance and automated steering control, and systems are also available from companies that specialize in tractor guidance systems. Developments in machine operation and path planning include systems that better coordinate implement and tractor operations. In some cases, fully automating procedures such as end turns where a seeding implement is raised, the vehicle performs a 180 degree turn and aligns correctly for the next pass. Implement guidance products are also available that control the steering and position of the tractor to achieve accurate positioning of the implement, rather than the tractor itself. The availability and distinguishing factors of these varying navigation technologies are presented and discussed per manufacturer, as well as their significant recent developments.