It’s inspiring when our customers understand and explain our product better than we could ourselves. Joost Derks, one of our valued customers, is a great example. He runs a farming business with his parents and brother in Volkel, Northeast Brabant, the Netherlands. In 2022, they purchased their first FarmDroid, and in 2023, they were using it for both seeding and weeding. Last season marked their second year with the robot.
Joost explains how the +Spray system works:
“FarmDroid operates using GPS coordinates. The robot knows the exact location of each seed it sows in the field. Using this data, it controls the micro-spraying system. I can choose to spray only between plants, directly on the plants, or cover the entire row.”
Unlike camera-based systems, the FarmDroid +Spray system uses a GPS-based approach that relies on precise coordinates rather than visual detection. This allows for greater precision and flexibility, as it enables treatment to begin even before weeds emerge above the ground.
The robot comes with two tanks for the +Spray system: one for clean water and one for the spray mixture. As it works, the system mixes the spray solution with clean water when needed, so the robot always has clean water ready for self-cleaning when the job is done. Each tank has a capacity of 50 liters, providing a combined total of 100 liters. This setup allows the robot to spray approximately 1.5 to 2 hectares per refill, depending on the configuration of the +Spray system.
Joost advises other farmers to embrace innovation and be open to new approaches to maximize the robot’s potential. While traditional farming knowledge from parents or mentors is invaluable, he emphasizes the importance of integrating it with the capabilities of modern technology to achieve the best results.
Watch Joost share his experience with his FarmDroid below:
FarmDroid’s Flexibility to Overcoming Challenges in the Field
FarmDroid is a flexible robot and can be adjusted to different crops, field conditions, and farmer preferences. For example, you can start by using only the spraying function, applying band spraying or spot spraying as needed. You can also choose to mechanically weed both between rows and between plants or focus on just one method initially and switch to the other later. This adaptability allows you to tailor the robot’s operation to your crop’s growth stage and specific field conditions, ensuring optimal weed control throughout the season.
Some challenges, like weather conditions, are beyond farmers’ control. Joost experienced this firsthand during the spring of 2024 in the Netherlands when alternating rain and dry periods created a difficult environment for weeding. With limited time windows for weeding, Joost decided to focus on weeding between the rows to increase efficiency. However, as weeds started to grow between the plants, they attempted to use the robot for in row weeding between the plants. Unfortunately, by then, the weeds were too large for effective mechanical removal. They switched to the +Spray micro-spraying system instead.
Looking back, Joost acknowledges that they started weeding too late, allowing the weeds to grow beyond manageable size. Despite this, he remains optimistic and shares a key takeaway for other farmers considering a FarmDroid:
“It’s a solid system, and it does exactly what it’s designed to do.”
Using FarmDroid +Spray in the Next Growing Season
Joost plans to use the +Spray system earlier in the growing season next year. Once he has gotten weeds under control with the initial spraying, he will switch back to the +Weed system for precise mechanical weeding between rows and plants. This is the strategy he believes will work the best for his crops and operations.
“For the 2025 season, we’ll definitely be using the FarmDroid again, focusing mainly on sugar beets. We hope to further reduce chemical use with the Spot-Spraying System on the FarmDroid and achieve even better results.”
Are you considering buying your first FarmDroid? Contact us to receive expert guidance on how your FarmDroid can be configured to meet the specific requirements of your farming operation.