This trio of AI-driven farm machines zero in on each plant in a field, enabling more efficient application of herbicides and fertilizer to save money and cut pollution. Weeds, after all, may inhabit just 3% of a field, says Ben Scott-Robinson, CEO of Small Robot Company: “If you just treat the weeds where they are, you massively reduce the amount of chemicals you need and the stress on crop plants.” Fifty British wheat farmers are now using Tom, which rolls through fields to digitally map weeds and crop plants, and then creates detailed “per plant” treatment plans. (Dick and Harry units handle fertilizing and weeding, and seeding, respectively.) Offering the robots as a service for now, the company plans expansion to Canada and eventually the U.S.
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