Future of farm equipment may be smaller

The evolution of ag equipment has been massive over the past few generations. But things beyond the machinery itself have had some of the biggest impacts on farmers.

“Auto steer has probably added years to my career,” southeast Iowa farmer Stan Nelson said.

The advancement of technology that has allowed farmers to take their focus off simply holding the steering wheel has been a stress-saver for Nelson, not just mentally but physically. Keeping the planter straight can be a challenge, particularly when winds or bumps push the tractor around, but also when looking back to make sure nothing is going wrong during the planting process.

Safety is something Kent Shannon, University of Missouri Extension field specialist in ag engineering, said has been one of the biggest growth aspects of ag equipment in his years working in the field.