COLUMBIA, Mo. — Armchair farming may not be here yet, but it’s getting closer.

“Autonomy in agriculture isn’t as far away as you think,” says Kent Shannon, University of Missouri Extension agricultural engineering specialist.

Agriculture is rapidly shifting to technology that can increase land efficiency, reduce labor shortages and streamline food production, says Shannon.

Imagine a world where tractors and combines can run without a driver all day and all night, he says. Autonomous tractors won’t clock out at the end of the traditional workday or call in sick.

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