Climate change and a lack of professional laborers are having an impact on work in the fields. Untimely frosts kill stone fruit, and the lack of skilled labor increases costs for fruit and vegetable companies. Engineers have already proposed solutions, but the revolution is a step-by-step process.
"Weather events can cause a stone fruit plantation to freeze in April and lead to a total loss," says Sergio Grau, product manager of AG Group, adding that "anti-frost towers are the preferred choice of stone fruit growers because they provide a very good service in terms of crop protection. In winter, there are no big issues, as the flowering doesn't start until February, but frosts in April can kill the fruit in a matter of half an hour. After that, the grower will still have to pick that fruit, prune, clean, etc. That's why these towers are of great interest."
© AG Group
These 11-meter towers with 170 hp motors "capture warm air at a height of about 20 meters and push it down to the ground to displace the cold air that is trapped between the trees. It has sensors that allow it to know when it needs to start up, and each one covers approximately 7 hectares," says Grau.
© AG Group
Robots as a solution for labor issues
It seems like a solution from the future, but it is a reality that "with remote-controlled machines you can plant seeds or weed in areas with a 60º slope. It is not only a question of efficiency, but also of safety at work," says the manager.
"In the agricultural robotics and innovations department, we present solutions for many tasks. We have a solar-powered robot equipped with GPS that is accurate to within 2 millimeters. After mapping the plot, it is able to remove the grass growing between lettuces, because it knows exactly where the seed has been placed," says Grau.
Growers "have no doubt that the investment is worth it, since labor issues are a common problem. Companies in Granada, Ribera del Ebro, Albacete, Almeria, and Murcia, the most important regions in fruit and vegetable production, are taking steps."
As with the beginning of any revolution, Grau believes that "you have to get it right so as not to make mistakes and show the new way of working. Field managers are dealing with a struggle between company management and the workforce. This highly specific machinery is very necessary, since there is a shortage of labor and a lack of professionalism in the workforce. Work in the field is becoming more and more technified, and workers should be able to keep up with that, but this is not the case."
"We have several machinery concessions from different countries, such as the U.S., Denmark, and France. We do between 30 and 50 installations a year in Spain and Portugal with a team of 22 people. Our solutions to the problems of the agricultural sector belong in a future that is already here. It's only a matter of time," says Grau.
For more information:
Sergio Grau
AG Group
Tel.: +34 649 920 802
[email protected]
www.ag-group.es
