ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN – The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) today announced the 2026 AE50 Award winners, honoring groundbreaking products that represent the most significant innovations in agricultural, food, and biological systems engineering. Selected by an expert panel, this year's winners demonstrate how artificial intelligence, automation, robitcs, and precision technology are fundamentally transforming modern agriculture.
"The 2026 AE50 Award winners reflect an industry at an inflection point," said ASABE Executive Director Cedric Calhoun. "From fully autonomous tractors to AI-powered spot-spraying systems and robotic grain management, these innovations address agriculture's most pressing challenges—labor shortages, sustainability demands, and the need for increased efficiency—while boosting safety and productivity."
Winning innovations include self-operating tillage tractors and multiple AI-powered spot-spraying platforms that identify and treat individual plants, dramatically reducing herbicide use while maintaining crop protection. The Grain Weevil robot eliminates dangerous grain bin entry, while double-baling systems from Great Plains Manufacturing and Massey Ferguson effectively double output in a single pass. Digital platforms including AgGateway's ADAPT Standard and Syngenta's Cropwise AI enable seamless data flow across manufacturers and operations, while Danfoss's ED3 on-board charger advances electrification of off-highway equipment.
The 2026 AE50 winners represent companies of all sizes from three continents, from legacy industry leaders to innovative startups. Products address challenges across the production cycle and diverse crop sectors, including row crops, grains, forage, fiber crops, tree fruit, and specialty crops.
The full list of 2026 AE50 Award winners and detailed product descriptions is available in the January/February 2026 issue of Resource magazine and online at www.asabe.org/AE50.
The AE50 Legacy
Since its establishment in 1986, the AE50 Award program has recognized innovations that help producers save time, reduce costs and labor, and enhance safety and usability. The program traces its origins to 1984, when ASABE's Agricultural Engineering magazine (now Resource) published a special issue highlighting 25 notable new techniques and innovations.
"Acceptance in the marketplace is the highest accolade any new agricultural product can receive," the program stated at its inception. "But for innovative developments in the last 12 months, a singular honor is to be named one of the year's Agricultural Engineering 50 outstanding innovations."
Davidson Prize Announcement
ASABE has partnered with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) to present the Davidson Prize, awarded annually to up to three AE50 winners representing the most outstanding newly introduced products of the year. The 2026 Davidson Prize winners will be announced at AEM's Commodity Classic in February.
2027 Nominations
Companies introducing new products in 2026 are encouraged to nominate them for the 2027 AE50 Awards. The online nomination process begins in August 2026. For more information, visit www.asabe.org/AE50.
About ASABE The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is an international scientific and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems.