South Korean agricultural machinery maker LS Mtron is leading the future of smart farming with its self-driving tractors capable of plowing fields with centimeter-level precision using advanced AI and satellite navigation technologies.

The MT7, a 3-ton autonomous tractor developed in 2021, is equipped with RTK-GNSS - an ultra-precise positioning system commonly used in drones - which enables it to operate with a stationary accuracy within 2 centimeters and an in-motion error margin within 7 centimeters. The technology reduces work time by up to 25 percent and minimizes waste, according to the company.

A demonstration was held on July 11th, 2025, in a 13,000-square-meter field in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province. Lee Jae-in, a 52-year-old farmer who purchased the MT7 earlier in the year, sat calmly in the driver’s seat while the AI-controlled machine autonomously dug furrows for planting green onions. The reporter onboard needed only a few taps on the touchscreen to trigger fully automated operation – digging, reversing, repositioning, and resuming work on the next row.

“Using the autonomous tractor, we have seen a 10 percent increase in furrow density during onion farming on a 6,000-pyeong field, which led to an additional profit of 2.5 million won,” an LS Mtron official said.

“The tractor has completely changed my life,” Lee said. “As a fourth-year farmer who is still learning the ropes, I used to spend four to five hours on tasks that now take just three. And because the machine runs so efficiently, I even use less fuel.”

Although current regulations require a driver to remain seated, LS Mtron envisions a future of fully unmanned tractors once the legal framework is in place and the company launched the MT9, a next-generation model and Korea’s most powerful autonomous tractor to date in June 2025. With the MT9, LS Mtron now offers a full lineup of autonomous tractors ranging from 69 to 143 horsepower.

The company is also expanding globally. “Our autonomous tractors are gaining strong interest not only in North America but also in Europe, especially in France,” the LS Mtron official said. “We aim to increase our global market share even further.”

LS Mtron put its technology to the test in a public competition in 2024. The company held a challenge at its Central Mega Center in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, in April that year where 18 veteran farmers competed against the AI-powered tractor. The winner took home a top-tier MT7 tractor valued at 130 million won ($94,000) if they could outperform the machine - none succeeded.

According to market research firm Mordor Intelligence, the global autonomous tractor market was valued at 1.7 trillion won in 2024 and is projected to grow to 5.5 trillion won by 2029, with an annual growth rate exceeding 26 percent.

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