Future Live

Future Live – Weeding Challenge

Demands for more sustainability in agriculture and increasing regulations for crop protection: The agricultural industry is undergoing rapid change and presenting farmers with greater challenges. Against this background, KWS is tackling the future topics surrounding economical and sustainable crop production outside of its core business as well.

With the project “Future Live – Robotic weeding in the field” KWS tests together with the University of Göttingen and the German "Institut für Zuckerrübenforschung" (Institute for Sugarbeet Research) (IfZ) innovative solutions for combating weeds in sugarbeet farming under real field conditions. The tests will be separated in weeding challenges and practical experiences at farmers fields.

As part of our digital field of experiments FarmerSpace, we are conducting trials on modern weed control methods in sugarbeet together with KWS,

Sebastian Streit, Research Associate, IFZ Göttingen

Aim of the project is:

Offering a platform to the manufacturers of these innovative robot systems

Discussing innovative weeding solutions for sugarbeet

Identifying application potentials for precision weeding technologies in sugarbeet

Testing innovative technologies under real field conditions

We are convinced that to digitally transform arable farming, a holistic view of systems is required, taking into account all stakeholders.

Sebastian Streit, Research Associate, IFZ Göttingen

Precision Weeding Systems tested in 2021

MWLP Weeder Strothmann

System:

Tractor hitch
6 rows (extandable to up to 18 rows)
Speed: 1.6-3 km/h

Weeding:

Spectral and 3D laser scanning to identify crops and weeds
Weeding in the row between and around beets
Weed removal through stamp actuator system

Results:

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

Innovative Sugarbeet and weed detection system

Weaknesses:

Currently in proof of concept phase
Needs tractor (not fully autonomous)
Tools need to be improved to effectively kill weeds

F. Poulsen Robovator

System

Tractor hitch
5kW power requirement
3-6 rows
Speed: 1-4 km/h

Weeding:

Camera-based plant recognition
Detection of weeds from Sugarbeets mainly by plant size
InRow weeding between Sugarbeets
InRow tool up to 2 cm close to the beet

Results:

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

Relatively high speed for weed removal
Effective InRow weed removal between sugarbeet plants after Sugarbeet reaches 4-leaf stage

Weaknesses:

Requires tractor (not fully autonomous)
Needs careful setup and adjustment to field conditions
Limited weed removal in close vicinity to crop plant (<2 cm)
Combination with handweeding needed

FarmDroid

Robot platform:

900 kg (fully loaded)
Speed: 500-900 m/h (in our field
RTK + GSM
Solar panels, 1.6 kW, Battery capacity = 4.8 kWh
2 x 400 W engine
3 wheels (2 back wheels for steering)

Working tool:

Sowing

Singling wheel, seed valve, disc coulters
Seed falls 2-3 cm above ground
Pressure roll and closure

Weeding

Adjustable steel wires between rows
In row tool up to 2 cm close to the beet
Capacity: 20 ha on average per season

Results:

FD20 weekly weeding after sowing
Space between sugarbeets is relatively clean
In-row weed removal between the plants similar to hand weeding
Weeds very close to the beet are not removed and grow large
Handweeding still needed for clean field

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

First commercially available autonomous between and in-row weeding system for sugarbeet on the market (first mover)
Weather conditions perfect for solar-based energy supply
Does sowing + weeding: added value for farmers
Potential to significantly reduce handweeding costs in organic fields

Weaknesses:

Adjustment of the robot for specific field conditions and regular monitoring is recommended
Additional handweeding needed to remove weeds close to the beet
Absolute dependency on mobile signal (GSM) for high GPS accuracy and software updates
Regular weeding once per week is necessary to hit weeds when they are small