Its regular and rectilinear progress can be observed from afar. Equipped with a hoe to clear weeds, Oz slips between the rows of fennel at the experimental station set up by the Morbihan Chamber of Agriculture, in Auray. Up close, it could look like a distant cousin of Wall-E, the little cleaning robot from Pixar studios. Like him, Oz forms a small, autonomous cube, very clever and helpful. A few differences all the same: four wheels rather than two caterpillars to move around and an RTK GPS guidance system – with centimeter precision – instead of binoculars for orientation.
Last distinction, the machine from the Toulouse start-up Naïo technologies is much less talkative than the machine in the animated film. Enough to guarantee calm for the teams of this farm which is testing cultivation tools and techniques for the information of farmers. “We bought the robot from its beginnings in 2014 to try it and be able to tell market gardeners whether it was relevant or notsays Maët Le Lan, the manager. From a curiosity, it has become a true daily companion. »
The forgotten market gardening of agricultural machinery
Running on electricity with eight hours of autonomy and programmable from an application, the machine can work alone without its owner monitoring it. A valuable ally for sowing, digging furrows or even moving objects thanks to the thirty different tools it can carry. But its original mission remains its main asset: weeding. “This task represents a third of a market gardener’s working time when he does it manually”recalls Maët Le Lan, who is also interested in questions of arduousness.
The sector can therefore be delighted to see such reinforcements arriving, while market gardening work is difficult and mechanization is not very advanced. “By definition, a classic farm works several crops, so it is not easy to equip itexplains Roland Lenain, research director on technological subjects at Inrae. To do it well, you would need one machine per production, which is hardly profitable. »
Machines like Oz thus represent a small revolution even if, here again, a slight delay must be made up. Since the 1990s, robots – mainly for milking – have conquered French breeding, which had 18,000 active machines in 2023. There are much fewer of them in crops – 600 last year – but they are making progress. Their number has increased sixfold in five years, driven by market gardening and vineyards which support most of the national park.
Make weeding easier and reduce herbicides
These new tools open up horizons for a sector facing enormous challenges. Starting with the environmental transition. “Without being the only solution, robotization will be an essential lever of agroecology”assures Roland Lenain. Many organic farms are also equipped in this way.
The robots are particularly useful for them by reducing weeding time in half, a tedious activity for these farms which do not use chemical inputs. And for those who spray it, machines can optimize their use. Some manufacturers promise a 90% reduction in pesticides thanks to more precise targeting. And, lighter than traditional tractors, the machines limit soil compaction, which is harmful to biodiversity.
Beyond good practices, the long-term contribution of robotization in the transition of the agricultural model is also found in the workforce. Greening agriculture requires creating thousands of jobs: decarbonization of the sector would require 450,000 full-time equivalents according to the Shift Project. A figure that is all the more dizzying as the trend is towards recruitment difficulties.
Reinforcement in the face of labor shortages
Some farmers, however, remain wary of the idea of machines taking over work from humans, despite the lack of hands. But the arrival of robots made it possible to carry out certain laborious tasks in place of agricultural workers that farms cannot find and robots could encourage those already present to stay.
In the large family market garden in Mayenne, Hervé Pouteau is at the forefront. The seven hectares of fruit and vegetables are covered every day by an Oz and a Toutilo. The first carries out its tasks alone and the second moves one or two employees in ergonomic working conditions – it is a “cobot” which makes man and machine cooperate. “Weeding is less important and the remaining tasks less demanding, I am convinced that robots help us retain our workers”affirms, enthusiastically, the one who hires four full-time employees and a few seasonal workers.
For those convinced of robotization, there is no doubt that the future of market gardening will involve this autonomous mechanization. But, even dynamic, the sector must adjust certain details to establish itself as a large-scale solution. The legal question, for example, is still stuck.
Remove regulatory obstacles
Many robots are not authorized to work without the presence of the operator, thereby losing part of their interest. To change the legislation, manufacturers will have to provide more guarantees on safety. “Very difficult because the ability of machines to adapt depends on statistical data, but it is not easy to simulate and integrate all possible risks”explains Roland Lenain, from INRAE.
Another major issue: the price. From €30,000, Oz or Toutilo are heavy for small market gardening operations. If their users generally do not regret their choice, the decision is not trivial, especially in a sector which is not used to such investments.
Sellers highlight a gain in profitability, notably with the optimization of weeding, but for users, the main thing is above all comfort. “In the agricultural sector, 9 out of 10 occupational illnesses concern musculoskeletal disordersraises Maët Le Lan. If we include the price of better well-being and avoided sick leave, robots are more than profitable. » There remains a final challenge, that of convincing a profession which sometimes raises suffering as a standard, as a guarantee of closeness to the earth. In this, it is certain, robots are a revolution.
