Solinftec: reduction up to 98% in herbicide volume with Sprayer Robot
Solinftec, active in artificial intelligence solutions and sustainable agricultural practices, has shared an update on the inaugural commercial season of its Solix Sprayer Robot. For the 2024 growing season there were 50 robots in commercial use on farms in Indiana and Illinois monitoring more than 65 million plants. According to Solinftec the use of Solix resulted in a reduction of up to 98% in herbicide volume and up to 10% more potential yields of crops including wheat, corn, popcorn seed and soybeans.
Made commercially available to farmers, cooperatives and ag-retailers earlier this year, the Solix Sprayer Robot detect and spray weeds, providing autonomous and sustainable target spray applications on grower’s fields. Solix is powered by four solar panels that control the drive system and the spray system while providing reports on crop populations, weed identification and densities, disease identification and thresholds, insect identification and thresholds, nutrient deficiency identification and densities and much more useful data to the grower virtually 24/7.
Solix is tackling three pillars and challenges faced by its customers: chemical reduction, labor and sustainability. Throughout the 2024 growing season, Solix Sprayer Robots applied 15,089 gallons of product. This resulted in water and herbicide savings, with 72,000 gallons of water being conserved. For corn, popcorn and soybeans, herbicides have been optimized alongside non-GMO crops.
Labor challenges
The autonomy of Solix Sprayer Robots also addresses the labor challenges that many customers encounter in the market, providing a solution that reduces reliance on manual labor. Looking ahead to 2025, Solinftec will be expanding its Solix platform into additional states in the U.S. heartland. “The Solix Sprayer Robot offers farmers increased efficiency, precision application, data-driven insights, and eco-friendly farming practices,” shared Taylor Wetli, U.S. Commercial & Business Development Manager, Solinftec.
The company continues to develop its Solix technology. In August, Solinftec announced its newest development in the field of agricultural robotics: the Solix docking station. Announced at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, the launch of this new development will allow Solix Ag Robotics to operate 100% autonomously throughout the season, without the need for a manual refill and allowing Solix to expand its capabilities in the future.
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