The agricultural sector is facing unprecedented global challenges. Organisations in this sector are having to navigate economic turbulence, market uncertainty, disrupted supply chains, and that’s before we think about the very real impact of climate change.
The result? To survive, farmers, land managers and agricultural companies need to become as efficient as possible, maximising crop yield and land usage, whilst balancing the need to be sensitive to the soil and ensuring longevity of their asset.
Using carbon fibre for agricultural technology
In this article, we will delve into the details of how advanced materials like carbon fibre are increasingly being used in agricultural infrastructure, equipment and processes to improve efficiency and offer the industry new, innovative ways of working that reduce impact on the land.
What mechanical properties of carbon fibre are being sought by Agritech companies/products?
The properties of carbon fibre are increasingly well understood; we’re increasingly seeing a requirement for the high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and design flexibility that carbon fibre offers. As agriculture is forced to embrace enhancements such as automation, precision farming and sustainability, lightweight materials are becoming critical enablers for advanced machinery, sensing platforms, and land-management infrastructure. Equally, the thermal stability and corrosion resistance of carbon fibre is crucial for applications in which equipment/infrastructure is deployed externally and often subject to harsh environmental conditions.
Let’s look at some specific use cases which could benefit from the use of carbon fibre.
Agricultural Machinery and Equipment
Carbon fibre is increasingly replacing traditional materials in equipment components such as sprayer booms and harvester arms. The lighter weight and corrosion-resistant nature of the material are proving very beneficial and de-load the machinery to which they are attached.
Recently, the industry has seen growth in the need for autonomous agricultural vehicles and robots to support fertilisation, harvesting and production. This has a dual benefit – reducing the resource burden of the machinery and impact on the land. Carbon fibre is well suited to this application; the weight reduction that it offers vastly improves efficiency, payload capacity, and reduces soil compaction. The system’s savings are substantial here and can create time and cost efficiencies if the machinery can move quicker using the same motorisation, or equally, can be operated with less power.
It is also worth noting that reducing weight of plant/equipment can also improve the safety of the whole process, especially for the operators of the machinery.
Handheld agricultural equipment has also benefited from carbon fibre; telescopic tubing for water-fed poles has improved efficiency of cleaning and maintenance operations, and weed-killing has become far easier with carbon fibre spray-arms. An example of this is the work of Rootwave.
Precision Agriculture and Sensor Platforms
Increasing investment is being seen in autonomous farming capabilities, many of which have sensors incorporated. Carbon fibre is being used, like in other industries, to manufacture sensor masts and mounts. For the same reasons as this material is used widely in the metrology sector, its environmental resistance ensures durability in harsh conditions and the low thermal expansion means carbon fibre structures provide stability which allows for greater measurement accuracy.
Greenhouse and Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA)
Arguably less technical in its application is the use of carbon fibre and other composites within greenhouses and vertical farming systems. Often used in the manufacture of lightweight frames to hold/hang/support planting, or in structural systems for modular framing in greenhouses, carbon fibre provides adequate load-bearing supports without being oversized and hence reduces the resultant shading. As mentioned previously, the non-corrosive nature of the material also ensures structural longevity.
Challenges of using carbon fibre
So, if the benefits of using carbon fibre in Agricultural applications is clear, why is it not yet being adopted more widely?
Ultimately, in an industry struggling to maintain cost-efficiencies, the material costs of carbon fibre are currently too high to be competitive. Added to this are the costs and limitations associated with more specialised materials that have yet to become widely available across the market. It is also worth noting that design complexity at the early stage of product development will also be a limiting factor until such time as the sector matures and more products come to market.
Climate considerations are also reportedly playing a part; whilst carbon fibre can reduce the levels of operational energy required to conduct some of the farming applications and increase service life, there remain limitations on recyclability. However, research in the use of recycled carbon fibre is moving at pace and bio-resins are being developed to improve the environmental impact of this material. Work in the industry to deliver economically viable recycling solutions and more sustainable materials is well documented by Composites UK.
Conclusion
Whilst the use of carbon fibre is not yet widely adopted in the industry, evidence shows that it is enabling lighter, stronger, and more durable farming systems such as agricultural machinery, robotics, UAVs, and infrastructure. As automation and precision farming expand to meet the needs of the industry, it is likely that carbon fibre will play a critical role in enabling future agricultural innovation.
