Groundbreaking autonomous tractor demo plants 250,000 tulip bulbs at Staffordshire farm
Lower Drayton Farm near Penkridge made agricultural history recently, as the Bower family successfully planted 250,000 tulip bulbs for their 2026 Tulip Festival using fully autonomous tractors—believed to be the first time tulips have been planted in this way, at this scale, in the UK.
Delivered in partnership with ASC Autonomy, the on-farm demonstration showcased two AgXeed autonomous machines working seamlessly together:
A tracked unit using a subsoiler to mark out precision rows
A wheeled autonomous tractor pulling the purpose-built tulip planter
The innovation attracted a strong turnout, with 40 farmers, contractors and agriculture students gathering to watch the autonomous systems in action and learn how this technology could support the future of British farming.
Farmer Richard Bower explained the motivation behind adopting autonomous machinery: “Farmers have always embraced innovation. My grandfather farmed with horses; my father with tractors; and now we’re entering the autonomous revolution. These machines will help us become more efficient and reduce our carbon footprint as we continue producing climate-friendly food and develop experiences for our domestic market.
“Although tourism now forms a significant part of our business, farming remains at its heart and is something that makes us unique – working alongside specialists like ASC Autonomy helps us continue to push boundaries and help promote British agriculture – we’d like to say a big thanks for their professional support this week.”
Will Mumford from ASC Autonomy added: "We were very excited to be involved in such a groundbreaking project, the fantastic team at Lower Drayton farm were a pleasure to work with, we look forward to seeing the results in the spring."
Lower Drayton Farm stared its diversification journey two decades ago, with the launch of its PLAY@ farm attraction back in 2021 now seeing the farm welcome than 100,000 visitors annually. The autonomous planting marks a major scale-up from their debut tulip attraction in 2025 and supports the farm’s commitment to innovation, education, and long-term sustainability.
Open-dated tickets for the 2026 Tulip Festival at Lower Drayton Farm, which will launch in Spring, are now available at tulipsatthefarm.co.uk.
