Key Takeaways
- Sabanto partnered with Yirsa Farms in Montana to deploy an autonomous seeding system for wheat.
- The farm repurposed existing mid-horsepower tractors and drills, retrofitting them with Sabanto’s autonomy technology.
- The system seeded 872 acres while achieving an average of $6.27 per acre, compared to $18.88/acre with traditional large machinery.
- Fuel use was cut by more than half—0.46 gal/acre versus 1.2 gal/acre for conventional equipment.
- The project highlighted scalability, cost efficiency, and resilience as key advantages of autonomy over conventional “big iron” systems.
Sabanto Brings Autonomy to Broad-Acre Seeding
In a recent case study, Sabanto showcased how its autonomy system delivered significant cost and efficiency benefits during wheat seeding at Yirsa Farms in Big Sandy, Montana. Faced with the prospect of investing over $2 million to replace aging machinery, farm owner Justin Yirsa instead opted for a retrofit approach that aligned with his long-term strategy of prioritizing land investments over high-cost equipment.
Sabanto: Designing a Cost-Effective Autonomous System
The project began with an equipment sizing study, identifying 100–120 horsepower tractors as the most effective option for scalability and cost efficiency. Yirsa Farms repurposed a 2013 John Deere 5115M tractor and paired it with a used 15-foot John Deere 1590 No-Till Drill, integrating the Sabanto autonomy system and low-cost monitoring tools.
This setup was designed to balance affordability, performance, and logistical feasibility, enabling autonomous 24/7 operation across varied terrain.
Field Operations and Performance
During its first season, the autonomous system covered 872 acres in 113.5 hours, achieving consistent seeding depth and uniform fertilizer application. Average field speed was maintained at 4.74 mph, with operational efficiency reaching nearly 9 acres/hour in certain conditions.
Fuel consumption averaged 0.46 gallons per acre, less than half the rate of comparable conventional systems, according to Nebraska Tractor Test Lab benchmarks.
Cost Savings Compared to Conventional Machinery
Analysis of costs for a 10,000-acre operation showed the Sabanto system achieving total expenses of $6.27 per acre, compared to $18.88 per acre for a traditional large-equipment setup. This 67% savings came from reduced depreciation, lower operational costs, and the ability to rely on readily available, affordable components.
A Scalable Model for Modern Farming
By replacing $1.475 million worth of conventional equipment with a fleet of three autonomous systems, Yirsa Farms demonstrated that autonomy can provide both economic and operational advantages.
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