- 206 participating companies, over 400 exhibits
- Award Ceremony for Contributors to the Development of Agricultural Machinery
- Seminar on Developing Export Strategies for Facility Horticulture
- A variety of side events, including academic symposiums
The ‘2025 Iksan Agricultural Machinery Expo’ has concluded.
The Iksan Agricultural Machinery Expo, hosted by the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province and Iksan City (organizers) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (host), was held from November 4 to 7 at the Iksan Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market in Jeonbuk Province. 206 companies from across the country participated and displayed over 400 types of agricultural machinery in an exhibition hall of 18,000 m2.
On the 4th, the first day of the expo, an opening ceremony was held with the attendance of Kim Shin-gil, Chairman of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative, and Jeong Heon-yul, Mayor of Iksan, and on that day, certificates of commendation were presented to those who contributed to the development of the agricultural machinery industry. The Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy’s commendation went to Kim Jae-dong, CEO of Duroo Machinery & Trading, Lee Jae-yong, CEO of Daepung Agricultural Machinery, Park Ok-ran, CEO of Hyundai Agricultural Machinery, Jeong Hyeon-wook, CEO of Shinan Industry, Shin An-cheol, CEO of Silti, and Park Jang-hyeok, CEO of Lowell SM. The North Jeolla Province Governor’s commendation went to Ha Jong-woo, CEO of Hada, Kim Du-sik, Managing Director of Woongjin Machinery, Kang Seong-yeol, CEO of Shizuoka Hanseong, and Choi Dae-han, CEO of TYM. The Iksan Mayor’s commendation went to Kim Dong-hyun, Manager of Iksan Agricultural Machinery, Kim Beom-joo, CEO of Sehyung Amazon, and Jang Pyeong-sik, CEO of Donghan Tech.
As a side event, on the morning of the 5th, the Korea Farmers and Fisheries Newspaper held a ‘Seminar on Activating and Establishing Export Measures for Facility Horticulture Materials’ with the Korea Smart Agricultural Facilities Council under the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative, and in the afternoon, the Korean Society of Agricultural Machinery held an academic symposium on the topic of ‘Physical AI-based Smart Agricultural Mechanization’.
Choi Ho-jong, executive director of the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative, said, “We worked hard to create a place where you can see at a glance the technological prowess of the rapidly evolving agricultural machinery industry, such as autonomous driving and autonomous operation.” He added, “We were able to successfully conclude the exhibition thanks to the cooperation of Iksan citizens and officials of the Iksan City Agricultural and Marine Products Wholesale Market. I think this exhibition has become an opportunity for mutual growth that will help the agricultural machinery industry take another step forward.”
Iksan Mayor Jeong Heon-yul said, “This expo was a meaningful opportunity to examine both the present and future of agriculture,” and added, “We will continue to do our best to realize sustainable agricultural innovation and develop the local agricultural machinery industry.”
#Tractor with cutting-edge technology, including autonomous operation, unveiled
Automatic obstacle recognition and avoidance during autonomous driving
▲LS Mtron = “MT9 is an autonomous tractor that can navigate obstacles on its own.”
The Iksan Agricultural Machinery Expo demonstration hall. An LS Mtron flag stands in the center of the hall. LS Mtron’s MT9 tractor (143 horsepower) drives straight, then dodges the flag to the right before continuing forward. At this point, the tractor is operating autonomously. This is LS Mtron’s first “obstacle avoidance technology” in Korea. According to LS Mtron, this technology automatically recognizes obstacles during autonomous operation, calculates the turning radius, and sets and drives a detour without any additional operation. LS Mtron explained, “This ‘obstacle avoidance technology’ can significantly reduce worker fatigue and improve work efficiency and safety.”
LS Mtron introduced its entire lineup of autonomous tractors at its indoor booth, from the 46 horsepower ‘XU’ tractor to the ‘MT9’, the country’s highest horsepower tractor, along with the new ‘MT9 Power Shuttle’ model of the ‘MT9’.
‘Next-generation agricultural machinery’ linked to work equipment
▲TYM=TYM also showcased the ‘T4058NC’ (58 horsepower), a tractor dedicated to field work, at the same demonstration hall. The ‘T4058NC’ is a ‘next-generation cutting-edge agricultural machine’ that has implemented integrated autonomous operation technology that goes beyond tractor-only autonomous operation and is fully linked with implements. At the demonstration hall, a ridge forming machine from Duroo Machinery was installed to demonstrate autonomous operation linked with implements. Regarding this demonstration, TYM said, “It is the result of the AI² (AI Square) consortium launched on September 17th with TYM at the center, and it is meaningful in that we have realized integrated control technology between tractors and implements through cooperation with Duroo Machinery.”
At its booth, TYM also showcased the “TH1200,” a standard-model combine harvester that demonstrates the potential of domestically produced products in a market dominated by imported products. It is highly capable of harvesting a variety of crops, including soybeans, barley, and buckwheat.
Level 3 autonomous driving demonstration, Level 4 launch next year
▲Daedong = At the Daedong exhibition booth, an autonomous agricultural transport robot garnered attention. This advanced product, equipped with a 3D camera, lidar for obstacle detection, and dual RTK antennas, is a wire-following transport robot capable of recognizing its surroundings and navigating autonomously with precision.
Daedong also demonstrated Level 3 autonomous driving technology at the demonstration site with the “GX6710” (67 horsepower). Level 3 autonomous driving not only enables autonomous straight-line driving and turning, but also enables the creation and automatic tracking of entire work paths and even autonomous work linked to implements. Daedong stated, “Even if the operator takes their hands off the implement, it will automatically lift and place itself, moving autonomously.” Daedong plans to release a tractor equipped with Level 4 autonomous operation capabilities in March next year.
#New product introduction at major locations
Domestic production of insecticide and disinfectant sprayers
The Iksan Agricultural Machinery Expo was also a fun opportunity to check out new products. One of them was the “Insecticide and Fungicide Sprayer” from Hosan Vision, a precision agricultural machinery company. Scheduled for full release next year, it is expected to replace the Japanese product known as the “Seedling Bed Treatment Sprayer.” The “Insecticide and Fungicide Sprayer” can be installed on both domestic and imported rice transplanters.
Park Beom-ho, CEO of Hosan Vision, said, “The ‘insecticide and disinfectant sprayer’ is the optimal product to address concerns that farmers’ health may be threatened by the spraying of existing insecticides and disinfectants, and it was developed using domestic technology.”
Garlic Sower: 3 Roles for One Person
The garlic sower from Durugi Trading, a company specializing in integrated field crop mechanization, is a new product this year that can perform three tasks simultaneously: forming ridges, sowing garlic, and spraying herbicides. When equipped with an optional plastic mulch, the garlic sower can also be used for simultaneous application. Using the garlic sower, eight hours a day is sufficient to sow garlic in a 1-hectare field.
Kim Jae-dong, CEO of Durugi Trading, said, “Garlic planting is a difficult task in rural areas where there is a shortage of workers, but using a garlic planter can solve this problem,” and added, “Next year, we will make garlic planters available to farmers.”
Wireless remote control weeder attracts attention
Iksan Agricultural Machinery, a sprayer manufacturer, also attracted attention with its “Wireless Remote Control Weeder.” This product allows for remote weeding via a wireless remote control. Iksan Agricultural Machinery claims this device helps prevent safety accidents. Cordless weeders can be deployed in areas where manual weeders are difficult to use, such as under orchards or solar panels. They can also weed on slopes up to 45°, making weeding safe and convenient.
Iksan Agricultural Machinery said, “It has passed durability tests and can remove long and tough grass. It can also be used in many ways as the weeding height can be adjusted with a remote control.”
#Smart farm equipment also attracts attention
There was also significant interest in smart farm equipment. Byeongju Agricultural Materials Co., Ltd. manufactures horticultural tie-down machines. A significant portion of these machines are made in China. Byeongju Agricultural Materials’ horticultural tie-down machines offer a viable alternative. These products are characterized by greater durability compared to Chinese products and are currently being exported to Europe and other countries. Byeongju Agricultural Materials has also obtained a patent for its horticultural tie-down machines.
Palmsco Co., Ltd. focuses on designing and constructing cutting-edge glass greenhouses. Its flagship product is the “Condensation-Preventing Venlo House Home Water Tank.” Its key features include: 1) collecting and discharging condensation water inside the greenhouse; 2) resolving water pooling on the ridge when the skylight is opened or closed; 3) installing a ridge pad to prevent the covering material from flapping; and 4) preventing the rotating material from detaching when the skylight is opened or closed with a skylight fixing pin.
Pago Korea, a company specializing in manufacturing materials used in smart farm greenhouses, highlighted its rhizosphere measurement device. This device measures moisture, temperature, nutrient concentration (EC), and acidity (pH) in the rhizosphere around crop roots in real time. Built using AI, it can scientifically manage the crop growth environment, potentially leading to increased productivity.
Energy screens manufactured by Yukil Co., Ltd., a smart farm aluminum screen specialist, also drew attention. Yukil showcased an aluminum screen combining PE film and aluminum shade film. This product boasts a long lifespan, excellent heat retention, and superior dehumidification. Furthermore, it reflects excessive sunlight in the summer to regulate light intensity, and in the winter, it reflects radiant heat to maintain greenhouse temperatures, supporting crop growth.
Source: Korea Agricultural and Fishery Newspaper (http://www.agrinet.co.kr)
