Productivity drives future agricultural technologies

SAE 100 Future look: Despite the tremendous rate of change in the agricultural equipment industry, one common theme has led the technological advances in agricultural equipment.

In 1905, when SAE was founded, horses literally powered the majority of agriculture equipment, and approximately 40% of the population lived on farms.

In just 100 short years, we have advanced to 500-hp (373-kW) tractors that can accurately drive themselves through fields, requiring the operator to take control only when negotiating around obstacles or turning at the end of a row.