Researchers in the UK have successfully grown the world's first crop of barley using nothing but robot tractors and drones. Hands Free Hectare is an experimental farm run by researchers from Harper Adams University, United Kingdom. Its aim is to sow, grow and harvest crops of spring barley using only unmanned vehicles, automated control systems and open-source technology. The project offers a glimpse of what the future of agriculture may be like. "We have been able to show the public that this is something that isn't too far ahead in the future, and it could be happening now," explains Martin Abell, mechatronics research engineer.

Driverless tractors, combine harvesters and drones have grown a field of crops in Shropshire in a move that could change the face of farming. The autonomous vehicles followed a pre-determined path set by GPS to perform each task, while the field was monitored by scientists using self-driving drones. The project, called hands Free Hectare, began with autonomous tractors drilling channels to precise depths for the barley seeds to be planted. The tractor was also used to plant seeds and spray fungicides, herbicides, and fertilisers. An automated combine harvester then harvested the field of barley.