Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Greeneye’s AI-enabled precision spraying system reduces herbicide usage

Each year, farmers worldwide apply millions of gallons of herbicides – the vast majority of which are wastefully sprayed onto bare soil or the crop. This overuse of chemicals damages the environment, causes weeds to develop resistance to herbicides and is a financial burden for farmers.

Israeli agri-tech company Greeneye Technology has developed proprietary AI-enabled precision spraying technology that enables farmers to seamlessly transition from this hugely inefficient practice to the precise application of herbicides and other chemicals.

The spraying system detects and sprays individual weeds, which significantly reduces herbicide usage compared to standard broadcast spraying. According to the company, this is proven to reduce herbicide volumes by up to 90% while also improving weed control efficacy compared to standard broadcast spraying.

The system spray weeds amongst crops with 95.7% accuracy.
The system spray weeds amongst crops with 95.7% accuracy. Credit: Greeneye Technology

In addition to improving farmers’ profitability, the system is expected to increase productivity by enabling farmers to invest in more efficacious crop protection products that are not affordable when applied on a broadcast basis. Combined with the technology’s ability to identify weeds down to a species level, this provides a clear path to tackling the growing threat posed by herbicide-resistant weeds. Greeneye’s solution is designed to apply herbicides to emerged crops (green-on-green) at commercial speeds of up to 20 km/h, ensuring no reduction in productivity for farmers.

It utilizes AI and deep learning to detect and spray weeds amongst crops with 95.7% accuracy. Additionally, the system is designed to integrate seamlessly into any brand or size of a commercial sprayer, eliminating the need for farmers to invest in costly new machines.

The company has now announced the completion of a $22 million (USD) funding round led by JVP. The investment will be used to support Greeneye’s commercial launch in the U.S. in 2022 and its expansion across North America in 2023.