AUGUST 2025
CELEBRATING 146 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION
THEGROWER.ORG
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI weeds in the blink of an eye
This AI-enhanced sprayer was first used in the field in spring 2025 to spot-spray carrots. The nozzles are programmed to spray only identifiable weeds of up to 16 inches in height. Thanks to input cost reductions, a 100 per cent return on investment is expected in two years. Isaiah Galbraith is in the driver’s seat as Alexa Hambly-Galbraith, business operations manager for Gwillimdale Farms, Bradford, Ontario, highlights some of the equipment’s benefits to fellow grower Brandon Scholten, Korag Farms. Photos by Paul Novosad.
KAREN DAVIDSON From geek toy to game-changer in less than a decade, artificial intelligence (AI) is ditching its ivory tower offices for farmers’ fields. And Canadian vegetable growers are seeing green, thanks to reduced crop protection and labour input costs. The Ecorobotix sprayer, developed in Yverdon-lesBains, Switzerland by engineer Steve Tanner and business partner Aurélien Demaurex, is a prime example. From the start in 2011, their concept was to meet European environmental and sustainability standards while also delivering spraying efficiency for farmers around the globe. Their undertaking was comparable in scope to John Deere’s development in the U.S. of See and Spray
Research tokking PG 6 Volume 75 Number 08 P.M. 40012319
technology for corn, soybeans and cotton. To attain acceptable performance through emerging “see and act” technology, the Swiss team developed dependable large-language-format algorithms. Volumes of accurately labelled images covering a diverse cross-section of growing environments were needed to model their AI algorithms. This time-consuming process continues today as evidenced by the spring 2025 release of their operational algorithm for carrots. The value of such painstaking diligence was not lost on Gwillimdale Farms. They purchased the $235,000 USD sprayer for 2,000 acres of carrots, onions, potatoes, parsnips and beets grown near Bradford and New Liskeard, Ontario. In their experience, emerging farm technology is often identified by attending agricultural events such as Agritechnica in Hanover, Germany.
Mental health resources $3.00 CDN
@growernews
PG 12
Signalling post-purchase satisfaction, Gwillimdale’s business operations manager Alexa Hambly-Galbraith states, “The machine has performed well in its first season. We completed three passes on onion transplants, two passes on seed onions and carrots and one pass on beets.” “It represents a significant step forward in smart farming in reducing chemical usage, improving cost efficiency and minimizing environmental impact, all while increasing operational precision.” How it works Five years into development, the company concluded that user resistance to autonomous sprayers was an obstacle due to both regulatory barriers and lack of trust. Continued on page 3
Farm equipment & machinery
PG 14