[Agricultural Machinery in the Spotlight at KIEMSTA] LS Mtron Leads with MT9 Autonomous Work Tractor and Unveils 69-HP MT470 for the First Time

According to the final results of the National Data Office’s “2025 Census of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,” the average age of agricultural operators has risen to 67.7. Among the farming population, those aged 65 or older accounted for 51.3%, exceeding half. The cultivated area per farm was 0.87 ha, down 0.21 ha from 2020, while the share of farms with less than 0.5 ha of cultivated land rose to 61.8%, up 9.9 percentage points from five years earlier. This is why large-scale farms that must cover broad areas with limited labor and small-to-mid-size farms cultivating narrow, fragmented fields look for different tractors.

The two models LS Mtron brought to the “2026 Korea International Exhibition of Machinery, Equipment, Science and Technology for Agriculture (KIEMSTA 2026),” which opened at Daegu EXCO on the 4th, also target these two paths: the autonomous work model “MT9 SmarTrek” of the large flagship MT9 series, and the 69-horsepower small-to-mid-size tractor “MT470,” unveiled for the first time at this exhibition.

Category	MT9 SmarTrek	MT470
Horsepower	143 hp	69 hp
Transmission	DCT (dual clutch)	32 forward speeds, 16 reverse speeds; power shuttle
Autonomous work	Level 3.5 (turning and implement linkage)	Straight-line assist kit (factory option)
Turning	Automatic C-turn/K-turn suggestions	Speed turn standard
Main demand	Large-scale farms and livestock farms	Small-to-mid-size field-crop farms and greenhouses
Launch	On sale	January next year

MT9 SmarTrek: autonomous work that handles turning and implement linkage on its own

The MT9 SmarTrek is a model that adds LS’s autonomous work technology to the 143-horsepower “MT9 140 DCT.” Choi Gwang-eun, a manager at LS Mtron whom we met at the site, described the model’s autonomous work level as “Level 3.5.” Choi said, “Level 4 is the point where a person does not need to be on board, but under current law, a person must be on the tractor,” adding, “Technically, it is already complete, so once the regulatory system is eased, it can move to Level 4.” It also has a function that stops automatically when it detects an obstacle. According to company materials, it detects obstacles within 4 meters (based on a height of 1 m and width of 25 cm) and automatically stops when they come within 3 meters.

What Choi emphasized most was the difference from autonomous driving kits on the market. Comparing it with typical kits, he explained, “Kits only assist with going straight and reversing, but ours lets the tractor handle turning and linkage with implements such as rotary tillers on its own,” adding, “That is why we call it ‘autonomous work,’ not autonomous driving.” When changing direction at the end of a field, it suggests the appropriate method between a C-turn and a K-turn according to the area and the task. A C-turn makes one large turn to enter the next furrow, while a K-turn reverses once and then immediately enters the next furrow. Choi said, “Among domestic companies, LS is the only one with K-turn technology.”

The effects were presented in figures. According to LS Mtron’s own verification results from work carried out at 1.5–2 km/h in a 900-pyeong (about 2,975㎡) onion field, cultivation time was reduced by 25% and output increased by 10% compared with when a person drove directly. The explanation is that it measured the size of the worksite on its own to reduce overlapping sections, and its improved straight-line performance made it possible to create more ridges in the same area. The company said that based on 1,000 hours of operation, fuel costs are reduced by 6.15 million won compared with human driving. Driving accuracy is within about 2 cm.

Regarding the autonomous work rate marked as “up to 98%,” Choi explained, “If it is 1,000 pyeong, it means 980 pyeong can be worked autonomously,” adding, “The remaining 2% is a safety zone left as a margin so the tractor does not leave the farmland.” LS Mtron has accumulated data for five years since launching Korea’s first autonomous work tractor in the second half of 2021. When linked with the “My LS Tractor” app, users can check the equipment’s location, remaining fuel, and replacement cycles for consumables such as engine oil in real time. In the “MyFarm Plus” app, users can see work progress, and when using multiple units together, they can check who is working where, as well as yields.

Even without considering its autonomous work functions, the MT9 is a model with solid fundamentals. It uses an engine from Italy’s FPT, and the transmission is a DCT (dual clutch transmission) made directly by LS. Choi said, “People usually say a tractor jerks when shifting gears, but this product shifts smoothly without shock even when moving between gear stages.” It is also equipped with three hydraulic pumps, one more than competing models in the same class. Because it has a separate steering pump, the main pump handles only the front and rear working hydraulics, leaving surplus power. It can carry out simultaneous work, such as operating a loader or grapple in front while running a baler at the rear, so demand from livestock farms is high. Choi said, “Because it can handle front and rear work at once and greatly reduce actual work time, we call it a ‘tractor that beats time.’” The cabin is fitted with suspension, providing good ride comfort even in uneven paddies and fields. A single electronic joystick can control forward and reverse travel, gear shifting, and loader operation.
 

MT470 comes standard with “speed turn” aimed at narrow fields and greenhouses

The MT470 is the successor to the 60-horsepower-class XU series, which has been sold for more than 10 years. Together with the 59-horsepower-class MT460, it will enter mass production and go on sale in January next year. The biggest change from the existing XU model is the speed turn function that comes standard on all models. When turning, it makes the front wheels rotate faster and the rear wheels rotate more slowly to reduce the turning radius. Choi said, “This is a model that allows small-to-mid-size farms growing field crops such as onions and potatoes to work quickly while moving through narrow cultivated land and winding farm roads,” adding, “Because the turning radius is smaller, there is almost no loss of work area.” Considering demand from users who want to use it inside greenhouses, such as watermelon farms in Gochang, the company also plans to release a cab-less model in the second half of next year.

An ultra-low-speed function tailored to harvesting sweet potatoes and potatoes has also been newly added. Speeds can be selected in fine increments starting from ultra-low speed. The transmission has 32 forward speeds and 16 reverse speeds, the engine is 2,505 cc, and the fuel tank is 80 L. Three pairs of hydraulic ports are installed at both the front and rear, and it is equipped with a hydraulic top link, power shuttle, turn-up, and backup functions. Thanks to high ground clearance and narrow tires, it can be used in both paddies and fields. The cabin has been enlarged compared with the previous model, and a curved rear window has been added to increase the sense of openness. The exterior features the MT series family look applied to the MT7 and MT9, along with a new hood and LED lamps.

The approach to autonomous work differs between large and small-to-mid-size models. Autonomous work at Level 3 or higher, in which the tractor autonomously handles turning and implement linkage, is included only on models from the MT7 upward. A straight-line assist autonomous driving kit can also be installed on the MT470 as a factory option, but Choi explained that most farmers who need autonomous driving functions receive local-government subsidies and purchase separate kits for installation.