Greeneye launches field trials for AI-driven precision spraying in Australia
Greeneye Technology is set to launch the first field trials of its precision spraying technology outside the United States, partnering with Croplands, part of Nufarm’s equipment and emerging spray solutions platform in Australia. The trials aim to assess the effectiveness of Greeneye’s AI-driven precision spraying technology in post-emergence applications on Australian soil.
Greeneye says its technology has shown to cut non-residual herbicide use in farming by an average of 87%. The company has already started collecting extensive data in Australia to tailor its system to local farming conditions and crops, including canola and cereals. The field trials are scheduled to begin in 2025.
Greeneye Technology was founded in 2017 in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2022, it became one of the first companies to launch precision spraying commercially in the U.S.
Based in Adelaide, South Australia, Croplands is well-established across the country, offering sales, service, and support for precision spraying systems, including infrared-based systems for pre-emergence applications.
With a strong regional presence, Croplands is collaborating with Greeneye to advance the use of precision spraying in Australia, supported by funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation to boost the profitability of the Australian grains industry.
Retrofit onto existing sprayers
Steve Norton, Portfolio Manager at Croplands, highlights that Greeneye’s technology has already proven successful in the U.S. market. One key advantage is the system’s ability to retrofit onto existing sprayers, which helps overcome the high costs typically associated with adopting new technology.
Additionally, Greeneye’s dual tank/line configuration allows farmers to apply residual herbicides while selectively spraying non-residual herbicides directly onto weeds. According to Norton, this feature will significantly enhance sprayer operator efficiency.
In the U.S., Greeneye is also exploring the use of its system for other agricultural inputs such as anti-fungals and micronutrients, an approach that hasn’t been widely considered in Australia yet, but Norton believes it will offer substantial value to local customers.
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Technology relies on cameras
The precision spraying technology relies on cameras mounted on the sprayer boom that capture high-resolution images of the field at 40 frames per second. This allows for rapid detection and classification of weeds to the species level.
The system processes this data to calculate the precise amount of herbicide needed and activates the appropriate nozzles to target only the weeds. The entire process is executed in milliseconds and can be performed at commercial travel speeds of 15 mph (24.1 km/h), ensuring no reduction in productivity compared to traditional broadcast spraying.
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