Van Osch Groenteproducties
Over 6,500 hours of AgBot experience at Van Osch Groenteproducties
Van Osch Groenteproducties, based in Leunen, grows top-quality lettuce and vegetables during the Dutch growing season, from May through October, processed and delivered fresh daily. With its own plant nursery and transport, it manages the entire chain. Owners Peter van Osch and Stan Vievermans chose AgXeed to automate heavy soil work, resulting in consistent quality and a calmer operation.
The challenge: tight planning in a busy operation
When the season starts at Van Osch, a great deal happens at once. Growing lettuce and vegetables, processing them, and managing their own transport all require tight coordination. “As soon as the season starts, there’s always a healthy tension. Everything has to be right,” Stan explains. It all starts in the field: if the soil preparation isn’t right, the rest of the chain is delayed immediately.
The biggest challenges are the quality of soil preparation and soil pressure. With different tractor drivers, it’s difficult to keep the work at a consistent level, while soil compaction caused by heavy tractors hinders root growth. Peter puts it plainly: “The AgBot sees things a driver doesn’t. We were looking for a system with low soil pressure, interchangeable driving lines and consistent execution of the work.”
Summary
Challenge
A lot of work comes together at once, while soil preparation needs to be accurate and on time.
Solution
Two AgBot T2 5 SERIES machines carry out the soil work consistently and with precise line guidance.
Result
Van Osch has already been using two AgBots for more than 6,500 hours for accurate, recurring soil preparation tasks.
“The AgBot does exactly what you tell it to. It gives us the assurance that soil preparation is always carried out at the same level”
Stan Vievermans, co-owner Van Osch Groenteproducties
Two AgBot T2 5 SERIES units for precise soil work
At the time of our visit, Van Osch was working with two AgBot T2 5 SERIES units. Together, they take on various field operations where routing and working depth are critical. The AgBots carry out exactly what has been set in advance, which removes any discussion about the driving line or the exact working depth. Thanks to the tracks, weight is distributed over a large contact area, keeping soil pressure low. “The AgBot does exactly what you tell it to,” says Stan. “It gives us the assurance that soil preparation is always carried out at the same level, even when colleagues elsewhere on the farm have their hands full with other work.”
The real benefit lies in the combination with TraXwise and the Vehicle Control Unit (VCU). In TraXwise, Van Osch prepares the task: which field, which operation, which driving line and which starting point. The VCU ensures that existing tractors can also work according to that preparation. Straight lines and a well-chosen starting point matter when growing lettuce and vegetables, since they determine how efficiently Van Osch uses the space in the field. Stan: “In the past, after half a day you might think: we should have started twenty centimetres further to the left. You want to avoid that.”
This combination shifts a significant part of the work to the preparation stage. The task is created in advance and includes routing and implement settings, among other things. During execution, the AgBot is monitored remotely. In TraXwise, Van Osch sees progress and notifications directly on their phone, which helps them keep an overview of the fleet with fewer people. Stan notices that the role of his people is changing: “We need people who can manage technology.” It’s less about steering yourself and more about monitoring the process.
6,500 hours later: Van Osch runs two AgBots
At Van Osch, the AgBot has become a fixed part of daily operations. With the first AgBot the company purchased, Van Osch has now logged more than 6,500 hours. They currently run two AgBots. Van Osch mainly uses the AgBots for soil operations where precision matters, such as rotary tilling and subsoiling.
According to Peter and Stan, the difference lies mainly in the quality of the work. The AgBot consistently follows its lines and sticks to the set operation, resulting in a more even outcome across the field. At Van Osch, they notice this especially in recurring soil preparation work.
The fact that Van Osch now works with two AgBots and is considering further expansion says a lot about their confidence in the approach. The AgBot fits the direction in which Peter and Stan want to develop their business further: smarter preparation, tighter execution, and more control over planning and quality.
VCU
AgBots
Operating hours
“They really listen to us. If we run into a problem, they look into it right away, even at night or during the weekend”
Stan Vievermans, co-owner Van Osch Groenteproducties
Developing together through close collaboration
The relationship between Van Osch and AgXeed goes beyond simply purchasing the AgBots. Because the AgBots are in constant use at Van Osch, Peter and Stan act as critical practical partners. “They really listen to us. If we run into a problem, they look into it right away, even at night or during the weekend,” says Stan. These short lines of communication are essential for us to keep things running at all times.
This interplay between grower and developer ensures that the technology aligns with the hard reality of open-field vegetable production. Van Osch shares their experiences on issues such as wear and software updates directly with AgXeed. It’s a collaboration that keeps both parties sharp. As Stan sums it up: “It’s great that our input is valued. We do this together, and that freedom to contribute our thinking is very important to us.”
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