Spot farming uses mini robots at plant level

In stead of autonomous vehicles or robots working large fields, the Julius Kühn-Institut, located in Braunschweig, aims at very small mini robots that work at plant level. A field is not regarded as one single production unit for a crop, but divided into really small sections that all have their own specific properties.

Working at plant level when it comes to fertilising, weeding and irrigating would lead not only to more yield, but also to a more efficient way of growing crops and to lower crop losses.

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In stead of autonomous vehicles or robots working large fields, the Julius Kühn-Institution aims at very small mini robots that work at plant level. – Photo: JKI Braunschweig

Spot farming also makes it possible to grow different crops in the same field, leading to crop rotation and an increase in biodiversity. However, because the robots do need a certain amount of space to navigate, fewer crops can be planted per acre. That is to be compensated by a higher yield per crop. The Julius Kühn-Institution will develop the spot farming concept in test fields.