Tractor Gains Smart Automation
At Agritechnica 2025, Kubota presented the M7004 Autonomous, a next-generation tractor concept designed to address one of the biggest challenges in modern farming: how to maintain productivity amid labour shortages while meeting growing sustainability demands.
Across Europe, farmers are facing growing labour shortages, especially during peak planting and harvest periods. Rising costs and stricter sustainability requirements are also increasing the demand for smarter, more efficient machinery.
Many farms rely on large, high-horsepower tractors to get work done quickly, but these can drive up fuel use, soil compaction, and overall costs. To stay profitable, farmers need technology that maximises efficiency while reducing reliance on heavy machinery and additional labour.
Size shift
Building on the proven M7004 KVT platform with Tractor Implement Management (TIM) technology and an integrated autonomous kit, the M7004 Autonomous lets a single operator extend working hours, reduce reliance on temporary labour, and optimise field efficiency.
By pairing smaller, lighter implements with intelligent automation, farms can shift from 250–300 hp tractors to 150–175 hp models, cutting costs while increasing versatility. In most conditions, around 80 percent of fieldwork can be carried out autonomously, with only headlands or complex areas requiring manual control to maintain safety and precision.
The M7004 Autonomous operates within a structured, easy to manage workflow. Field boundaries and obstacles are first mapped by a certified surveyor, followed by independent creation of tractor and implement profiles. Using Kubota’s PAM platform, operators then define A–B lines, passes and start or end points. The mission is uploaded to the tractor, which performs work autonomously under remote supervision. This approach allows farmers to move seamlessly between manual and autonomous modes while maintaining full safety oversight.
Safety is at the heart of the M7004 Autonomous. The retrofit kit transforms M7004 KVT tractors with a full suite of sensors, vision systems, and control modules. High-precision GNSS navigation guides the tractor, while LiDAR sensors on both sides of the cab detect obstacles in real time. Clovis, Caïus, and Cleos modules manage vision and safety, supported by cameras and warning lights to enhance monitoring and visibility. Implements are registered via CLEOS ECU modules, which record geometry, working width, and headland sequences to ensure safe, compatible connections. Kubota and Kverneland implements integrate directly, while competitor equipment can be configured through standalone CLEOS modules, giving farms full flexibility for mixed fleets.
The benefits are immediate and measurable. Smaller, lighter equipment combinations reduce mechanisation costs per hectare. Extended operating hours boost productivity without adding labour, and reduced soil compaction helps protect long-term soil health. Precision, safety, and flexibility are enhanced, particularly on mixed and arable farms of 200–600 hectares.
By automating repetitive fieldwork while keeping manual control for complex areas, the M7004 Autonomous delivers a smarter, safer, and more sustainable approach to modern farming.
Proof-of-concept trials in 2025 and ongoing field validation into 2026 will continue to refine its capabilities and expand its versatility.
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