Compatible crops / Onion
Precision seeding and robotic weeding for onions
Onions are one of the most demanding crops when it comes to weed control. Slow early growth, narrow row spacing, and long growing seasons leave little room for error, and even less room for weeds.
Background
How onions are traditionally grown
FarmDroid helps onion growers take control of the situation from the very first seed sown. With precision seeding and fully automated mechanical weeding, it is possible to reduce hand labour, protect the crop during sensitive stages, and maintain clean fields throughout the season.
Onions are typically grown through direct seeding or transplanting, depending on region, variety, and production system. To maximise yield, onions are usually planted in narrow rows with high plant density, which leaves young plants particularly exposed to weed competition.
Because onions establish slowly, the first weeks after emergence are critical. Traditionally, this has meant heavy reliance on hand weeding and chemical inputs to protect the crop until it can compete on its own.
With increasing labour costs and growing restrictions on herbicide use, many onion growers are now looking for more precise and reliable alternatives.
The challenge
Key challenges in onion production
Onion growers often face the same set of challenges, season after season.
High labour requirements for hand weeding
Limited mechanical weeding options in narrow rows
Risk of crop damage during early growth stages
Repeated weed emergence throughout the season
Increasing need to reduce chemical inputs
These challenges make onions one of the most labour-intensive crops to grow.
How we help
How FarmDroid supports onion growers
FarmDroid is designed to handle crops that demand accuracy, and onions are a perfect example.
Precision seeding from the start
FarmDroid places each single onion seed or seed cluster at a precise location using RTK-GPS technology. This creates a digital map of every plant or plant cluster, the foundation for accurate automatic weeding right after seeding is done.
Automated weeding in sensitive stages
Because FarmDroid knows exactly where each onion plant is located, it can mechanically remove weeds both between and within rows without harming the crop. This allows repeated weeding passes, even during early growth stages where precision is critical.
Less hand labour, more predictability
By automating one of the most labour-intensive parts of onion production, FarmDroid helps reduce manual work and makes weed control more predictable throughout the season.
Setup
Onion compatibility and setup with FarmDroid
FarmDroid is well suited for:
Direct-seeded onion systems
Organic and conventional production
Narrow to medium row spacing with consistent geometry
Farms looking to reduce labour and chemical inputs
Farm size of 20-30 ha per season, per robot
Fields properly prepared for precision seeding
As with any precision system, proper field preparation and planning are essential for best results. Onion growers usually sow in clusters of around 7 onion seeds and use one of these two FarmDroid configurations:
Passive front wheel
Rows
8
Row spacing
25-50 cm
Working width
300 cm
Wheel spacing
160 cm
Dual Front Wheel
Rows
7
Row spacing
25 cm
Working width
200 cm
Wheel spacing
200 cm
Growers using FarmDroid
Proven in onion fields across Europe
Onion growers in Denmark, Germany, France, and the Netherlands already use FarmDroid to automate seeding and weeding in one of their most challenging crops.
"With our unique system we can sow onions in clusters of 6-7 seeds per cluster, which creates space for weeding between the plants. This way, we can maintain a high number of onion plants per hectare."
Rasmus Thuesen, Lead Market Manager Scandinavia, UK, and Netherlands
We are ready to help
Want to know more?
Do you want to learn more about how FarmDroid can help you reduce manual labor, fuel, pesticides and Co2 while also being more productive and easier to use. Then do not hesitate to contact us.
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