PRESS RELEASE

Kubota’s AIs system, Bronze Medal Winner in the prestigious SITEVI Innovation Awards 2023

29 November 2023

Kubota’s integrated agricultural AIs system has been awarded the bronze medal in the prestigious SITEVI Innovation Awards. These will be presented at the SITEVI trade fair, which takes place from 28-30 November 2023 in Montpellier, France. These awards are for the most innovative equipment, products, techniques and services presented by exhibitors at the trade fair. This recognition strengthens Kubota’s position as a leading player in innovation in the agricultural sector.

Kubota’s AIs is a comprehensive solution for smart spraying that enables maximum precision, effective and efficient specialty crops protection treatments, and the integration of third-party services into a single system.

These characteristics, together with the rest of its innovative technological and environmental contributions, were decisive for the panel of experts on the SITEVI Innovation Awards jury, who had considered Kubota’s innovation to be amongst the most outstanding new products in the sector presented at the trade fair. This made it winner of one of the awards. These awards are presented at the biennial SITEVI, the leading trade fair for grape growing and winemaking equipment, as well as the orchards and olive growing sector. It takes place at the Parc des Expositions in Montpellier, France.

AIs, ground-breaking innovations in hardware and software

Kubota’s AIs system is based on computer vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enables viewing of crops with 3D cameras with a well-balanced degree of detail and time resolution. This provides the user with exact information about crop dimensions, which aids real-time sprayer adjustments tree by tree for high-precision plant protection products (PPP) and foliar fertilisation. This cuts pesticide usage by up to 40%,fertilizers usage by up 20% and provides a significant saving on agricultural inputs.

The AI innovation includes hardware and software as well as a cloud-based digital management tool with open-source software integration to make this solution inclusive and extendable to third-party digital service providers in the specialty crops sector.

The system is easy to install on the tractor (plug and play, PnP) and includes 3D vision cameras, an AI edge processing unit, as well as attachments. They are all toughened for use in harsh field conditions which demand high performance.

The AIs software consists of a digital platform and an integration centre. This is of particular interest, as the data collected, together with third-party prediction models, allows early detection of pests and diseases, phytosanitary treatments based on variable rate application maps, and yield prediction. Usage examples include planning thinning operations, , tree watering and nutritional status, crop development level and vigour control, among others.

With the contribution of the European Union’s LIFE Programme, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action, under grant agreement Project 101074540 — LIFE21-ENV-ES-Life-AIs. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

About Kubota

Kubota has been a leading manufacturer of agricultural equipment, construction equipment, lawn mowers and and Industrial Engines since 1890. With its global Headquarters in Osaka Japan, offices in more than 120 countries, and more than 50,000 employees in North America, Europe and Asia, Kubota had a turnover of $20.4 billion in 2022. Although machinery equipment is its main products line, Kubota also produces a wide range of products such as city water purification systems, irrigation systems, piping systems, roof and home construction, and large underground valves.

Our Mission

Our Brand Statement, “For Earth, For Life,” speaks to our commitment to the conservation of the environment while aiding the production of food and water supplies, which are vital to meet the needs of our society, as the world’s population continues to grow. This mission is accomplished every time a Kubota tractor harvests the land to produce food or when our construction equipment excavates to transport water or provide shelter. For more information on Kubota, please visit www.kubota-global.net or www.kubota-eu.com.