The first mechanical weeding innovation showcased at Agritechnica 2023 – Robocrop Spot Hoe.
The Robocrop Spot Hoe is a brand-new machine for selectively weeding the interrow zone in row crop and cereal crop production systems. Utilising high resolution cameras, hoeing blades are engaged to selectively remove weeds when they are detected, and then disengaged after removal.
“With a focus on the increasing adoption of more sustainable production systems, the Robocrop Spot Hoe is the only system on the market to offer selective hoeing capability, based on locally sensed interrow weed density,” says Mr Knight.
The system brings many benefits, for example helping to conserve moisture in dryland farming systems, in more arid regions. It also saves fuel, as the energy required will be reduced in non-weed population areas.
When the timing of operation does not suit a continuous hoeing operation, Robocrop Spot Hoe also enables farmers to automate the selective weeding of crops mechanically.
As conservation and regenerative agriculture policy adoption improves the soils of highly productive arable farmland, so the demand for selective mechanical weed control will increase,” says Mr Knight.
“The Robocrop Spot Hoe leverages multiple technical layers, packaging them together to enable a machine to do a weeding job in a way not previously achievable or available on the market,” he adds.
