Old Macdonald had a robot: Driverless tractors appear on farms

Soon, however, the sight of tractor and farmer hard at work together, preparing the land and harvesting the crops, may be as out of date as the horse-drawn plough from the age of Robert Burns. For the age-old relationship of man, machine and land is set to be broken with the arrival in Scotland of the first fleet of robot tractors. Driverless'Agbot' tractors, due to arrive in Scotland within weeks, have been described as a gamechanger for agriculture, with the ability to work solo, 24-hours a day and to precise standards – raising the potential that they can help solve a crippling labour shortage crisis which has left farmers and growers scrabbling for staff. Because they are significantly lighter than a traditional tractor – and, as hybrid vehicles, use less diesel - they are also being touted as a greener option, offering a solution to soil compaction caused by huge vehicles which trample the land and which can lead to flooding, degradation and lower yields. While, by freeing up time that would normally be spent in the driver's seat, the vehicles – programmable several months in advance - allow farm staff to concentrate on other areas of increasingly diversified businesses, such as running farm shops, tourist accommodation and food production.