As the weeding season rolls on, our FarmDroid robots have been tirelessly working across fields, and the results are in!
FarmDroid robots across 26 countries have been hard at work, covering a total of 26,335.5 hectares out of expected 29,580.9 hectares. This means 89% of the weeding has already been completed in line with our forecasts, with an average of 62.4 hectares weeded per robot.
| Total weeded area so far | 26,335.5 ha |
| Forecasted area by season end | 29,580.9 ha |
| Average area weeded per robot | 62.4 ha |
The most active FarmDroid robots this weeding season
Robot #45 from year 2024 has become a bit of a legend in our robot fleet, covering nearly 288 hectares solo, almost 5 times the average area covered by all robots weeding this season!
🥇Robot #45 from 2024 with 288 hectares
🥈Robot #117 from 2023 with 247 hectares
🥉Robot #27 from 2024 with 214 hectares
FarmDroid weeds what it has already seeded
While seeding, FarmDroid FD20 places each seed with 8 mm precision and knows the exact GPS location of each seed. This way, it can perform weeding right after seeding without having to wait for the crops to germinate. That early start gives weeds no time to settle in, helping keep the field clean from day one, making it much easier to stay weed-free all season long. Think of the FD20 as the farmer’s most reliable worker, maintaining the field in top shape with just a little help along the way.
“The robot performed well and did exactly what it was supposed to. It’s a solid and reliable solution.” – Steen Lund Andersen, danish farmer
Why automatic weeding makes a big difference?
With FarmDroid robots working tirelessly in the field, farmers can spend their valuable time on other important tasks instead of hand-weeding or managing manual labor. Mechanical weeding also reduces the need for herbicides, preventing the development of herbicide resistance. By keeping fields weed-free, crops grow healthier and have the potential for higher yields.
One of our customers, Tjele Gods, has five FarmDroid robots for 93 hectares of fodder beets:
“Our biggest challenge before FarmDroid was keeping the beet fields clean and the high cost of manual weeding. FarmDroid has helped increase our yield, and its precision and GPS control have given us a competitive advantage.” – Steffen Rohde Døssing, Farm Manager at Tjele Gods
See how Tjele Gods expanded their robot fleet from one robot to 5!
From a distance, with care
In our recent seeding season update, we introduced the “Boots on the Ground” project, where our colleagues visit customers in person, quite literally with their boots on the ground. But on-site visits are not the only way we support our users.
We also work closely with a strong network of local partners in the countries where our robots operate. And behind the scenes, we have our dedicated remote support team, FarmDroid Care. This team provides proactive, real-time assistance to help solve any issues that might arise in the field, often before the farmer even notices them.
Recently, one of our Care team members shared a great example. A robot in Switzerland stopped during weeding with the error message “weeding arm stuck.” Our team member quickly troubleshooted and restarted the robot remotely. Taking it one step further, he checked the GPS coordinates where the robot had stopped and reviewed the camera footage from that location.
That is when he spotted the culprit: a large rock. He immediately sent the farmer an SMS, letting him know about the obstacle and warning that it could cause problems again if not removed. Thanks to this timely heads-up, the farmer knew exactly where to look and was very happy to receive such fast and precise support from a distance.
Final remarks
Whether you’re already part of the FarmDroid family or just curious about field robotics, we’re excited to keep sharing the journey with you.
Would you like to receive these kinds of updates in your inbox once a month? Sign up for our newsletter here.