The Benefits and Opportunities of Robots in Mixed Farming

Mixed farming represents about 34% of agricultural activity in Europe and 40% in France. This type of farming, also known as polyculture, describes an agricultural operation with different types of crops and/or animal husbandry.

Polyculture farms face complex challenges, particularly when crop and livestock activities overlap. At World FIRA 2025, four growers with mixed farming operations discussed the robotic solutions they use and problems agricultural robot manufacturers could help them solve.

What’s Working: Milking Robots, Hoeing Robots, Automated Tractors

All four farmers use some form of agricultural robotics to increase efficiency and profitability. Sebastien Albouy, a dairy farmer with 90 milk-producing cows, has used milking robots for 17 years.

“We debated for a long time. We worried the robots wouldn’t last or they wouldn’t be worth the cost, but the milking robots have transformed our operation. They benefit both the welfare of the animals and the profitability of the farm. There was an upfront cost obviously, but as many economic studies have shown, farms that use milking robots are more productive than those that don’t,” Albouy said.

Albouy emphasised the importance of being open-minded to operational changes. “We often say the animals get accustomed to it faster than the breeder. You shouldn’t buy a robot simply to replace your milking machines. You have to think about all the possible uses, like milking cows at different times.”

Florent Barthes, a farmer with 235 hectares/580 acres, shared his positive experience with a Naio robot. Barthes runs an organic farm with sunflowers, chickpeas and 80 suckler cows.

“The first year, the robot only did some hoeing,” Barthes said. “The next two years, it took care of the entire parcel, 12 hectares, from the sowing right up to hoeing.”

Bathes said the robot was especially helpful during hay season. “The hay has to be done properly and at the right time. We cannot be everywhere, so hoeing was often neglected during hay season. Now we have a robot to do that job.”

Both Bathes and another organic farmer, Bernard Ader (530 ha/1309 acre farm), noted the economic value of hoeing robots on organic farms. “Too many weeds are a problem because we cannot use any chemicals. If a robot can regularly hoe between the rows it minimises the weeds,” Ader said.

Maxime Algans has used an autonomous tractor on his 150 ha/370 acre arable farm since spring 2024. Algans agreed with the other farmers about the value of using technology to handle overlapping tasks.

“Robots can do repetitive work that does not require a high level of skill, like milking, tilling, hoeing — and they can work 24 hours a day. It improves productivity, which is very good economically speaking.”

Labour Shortages an Ongoing Problem

Many farming operations struggle to find workers. But in mixed farming, the problem doubles when peak seasons overlap.

“When there are a lot of tasks to be performed in a short time, you need to do as much as possible in the time you have or you’ll fall behind. I found myself unable to finish seeding for hard wheat because I didn’t have people to work,” Algans said. “Economically, it has an impact on my farm. If I could do everything within the right timeframe it would be a win-win situation.”

Albouy also mentioned labour-related challenges. “We have optimised the milking process but there are other things you have to do every day — morning and evening — like removing manure and feeding the veal. Sometimes I can’t find employees. Partners and bosses don’t always want to work weekends or they prefer to avoid certain tasks.” Albouy said.

“If there’s a storm coming on a Saturday evening, I might have to pay three times the area rate to get somebody before 3:00 p.m. It’s the same for early morning or evening, I need to pay more,” Alboy added.

Barthes described challenges around training workers. “You have to follow along behind them and explain what to do. Or, if you have an employee that is autonomous, you have to accept that he or she will make decisions that you wouldn't have made.”

The Farmers’ Wish List

Both breeders and growers would like agricultural robot manufacturers to develop technology that would allow them to intervene at the right time in the field. Breeders Ader and Algans said they hope engineers develop drones or other monitoring devices they can use during calving time.

“In the old days, there was a grandfather to look after the cows, or someone who could do constant surveillance,” Algans said. “But today, we are often busy doing the hay or sowing and we don't have the time or workers to watch the animals.”

Ader added, “Breeders have big, big expansive plots. A system that will allow us to find the mother would be a wonderful thing for us. A cow that is about to calf is going to hide, but we have to find them and make sure that the calving process goes well. If it does, that means catch the calf — which is a bit dangerous — to identify whether it is male or female. If things go wrong during the birthing, you need to intervene and take the cattle back inside.”

Growers requested solutions to automate hay processing, minimise waste when spraying fertiliser and a tool for invasive species control. “For the past two years, I've been invaded by rumex in my fields. I would love to buy a robot that could remove all of it, take it away and burn it,” Barthes said.

The farmers also raised concerns about soil compaction and the need for lighter, more energy-efficient machines. Heavy equipment has a negative impact on soil health and the farmers stressed the importance of finding solutions that preserve soil structure.

The roundtable concluded with a call for greater collaboration between farmers, researchers and technology developers to create innovative solutions that improve the sustainability and resilience of mixed farming operations.

View the Entire Roundtable Discussion
The 60-minute roundtable event is available to view in French (English subtitles available) on the FIRA Forum YouTube channel. Additional roundtable discussions from World FIRA 2025 will be published in the coming weeks.