In 2020, we launched the first concept for the fully autonomous harvesting and feeding of fresh grass: Lely Exos. This new way of feeding fresh grass is in continuing development. Also this spring we have conducted comprehensive tests at various farms in order to learn as much as possible about the autonomous harvesting of fresh grass.
Oct. 15, 2021
News
Thanks to the mild climate, last season Exos was able to harvest fresh grass until December. Despite the dry periods in the summer, more than 2 million kilos of fresh grass was harvested at one of the test farms. Mowing at the right time encouraged the rapid regrowth of the grass, and thanks to the soil protection offered by this system the test farms could gain optimal benefits from the long growing season.
As of March this year, we started testing once more. The group of test farms is larger and more diverse. We examine, for example, the combination with grazing, which farm sizes and systems suit the Exos and how the test farms experience and use the machine.
By feeding fresh grass, dairy farmers can better utilise the nutritional value of the grass. Exos does not weigh much, making it possible to harvest grass under almost all conditions. This allows dairy farmers to produce more milk from feed from their own soil and reduce labour, mechanisation and feed costs.