Groundswell: Small Robots and Tuckwells partner to deliver applications by exception

Small Robot Company (SRC), a British agritech start-up for sustainable farming, today demonstrates applications by exception at the Groundswell regenerative agriculture show, in partnership with Tuckwells, one of the UK’s leading John Deere dealerships, which has a focus on industry-leading design and technology.

The first precision application of herbicides informed by robots to a UK wheat field has shown there’s the potential to save 97% of an early spring application for the same effective control of broadleaf weeds as spraying the whole field.

A 14.5ha field in Suffolk was surveyed in early spring by Small Robot Company’s Tom autonomous monitoring robot. The data was processed by Wilma, SRC’s AI (artificial intelligence) advice engine, before being passed to local John Deere dealership Tuckwells.

“We’ve been looking for the next innovation in precision application of herbicides and robotics seems to be the way forward,” says the company’s George Whelan who coordinates their new technologies.

“Weed identification is the key and the AI element is the most exciting part. We can use the data from Wilma to create an application map and deliver real in-field solutions.”

In the trial, the data was run through JD’s Operation Centre and the treatment map for herbicide in wheat supplied to a Mazzoti sprayer with individual nozzle control over its 36m boom. Just 3% of the field needed to be sprayed, or 0.42ha, resulting in a herbicide saving of £24.48/ha. If the field had been treated with a JD R962i sprayer with 3m sectional control, it would have sprayed 13% of the field area, saving £21.96/ha.

“That’s a considerable saving,” notes George. “Our threshold for a new precision technology is a saving of at least £10/ha to ensure a new service brings the farmer a return on investment. This looks like it brings at least double that.”

SRC president and co-founder Sam Watson-Jones says pilot trials of the service, scanning the crop four times through the season, show the potential to cut herbicide applications by around 77% and fertiliser by around 15%, depending on the conditions within the field, and the density and dispersion of the weeds. These are achieved through accurately gauging green area index and plant populations, as well as broadleaf weed ID, he notes.

“The advantage of the SRC service is not just the granularity of the survey data, which covers the whole field – ours has a ground sample distance of 0.39mm. You also know how much you will need to apply before filling up the sprayer – what you put in the tank is what you use, nothing will be wasted.”

Sam believes the input-cost savings are just the start. “The fertiliser savings alone will make a significant contribution to reducing emissions with no loss of crop productivity, while our monitoring service allows for application by exception, rather than blanket precautionary measure.

“But we believe that’s just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the potential for what per-plant farming can deliver, for input-cost savings, yield enhancement and the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Commercial Per Plant Farming services

Earlier this month, SRC launched its commercial Per Plant Farming robot services. Pilot trials this season, including with Tuckwells on a Suffolk farm, have revealed herbicide applications can be cut by around 77% and fertiliser by 15%. Britain’s first fully autonomous crop-scanning service, it will roll out from this autumn to about 50 farms over the 2022-2023 growing season.

The service will optimise existing sprayer equipment to reduce costs and inputs, using Per Plant Intelligence from SRC’s Tom monitoring robot to treat only the problem areas. The service enables farmers to assess weed density information for no spray decisions, and to reduce herbicide use by around 77% at a conservative estimate, depending on weed density and distribution. Farmers can also assess crop health and performance to cut fertiliser costs by around 15% and optimise crop nutrition. The potential is for far greater savings.

Tom scans the field, building an understanding of where every plant is and what each one needs to achieve optimal performance. Wilma, SRC’s AI Advice Engine then creates treatment maps to advise farmers on the best action to take. This information is used to inform variable rate fertiliser applications and to spot-apply herbicides through nozzle control and sectional control sprays.

“With input costs on the rise, farmers are increasingly under pressure. Up to 90% of inputs are wasted. This is not economically or environmentally viable. Fertiliser alone is a major contributor to agricultural emissions,” comments Sam Watson Jones, President and co-founder, Small Robot Company. “Robotics gives huge scope to close the gap: delivering applications by exception. Precision monitoring alone can provide immediate value, optimising existing sprayers for herbicide and fertilizer applications.” 

Farm trials

The launch follows successful on farm trials with Tuckwells on a farm in Suffolk, as well as three Hampshire farms during the autumn 2021 to 2022 growing season to develop the service, including the Waitrose Leckford Estate and the Lockerly Estate, owned by the Sainsbury family. The trials covered 142 hectares, locating 446 million wheat plants in which 4.6 million weeds were identified. Tom’s six on-board cameras, mounted on a boom, deliver a ground sample distance of 0.39mm per pixel. Among the highest resolution of any crop-scanning technology, this gives Tom the capability to see individual water droplets on leaves and early signs of disease outbreak. 

Weed surveys this season have revealed surprisingly few areas of the field where the density was more than one weed/m². With this information, SRC can create heat maps so that farmers can only treat problem areas, rather than blanket treat the whole field.

Farmer demand

The service has launched fully subscribed for 2022, having been offered first on an exclusive basis to SRC’s farmer advisors, with 2023 selling out fast.

Tom Jewers, farmer and contractor in Suffolk signed up to the services for the 2022-2023 season, comments: "We desperately need to develop ways to reduce the need for expensive plant protection products and artificial fertilisers. The ability to treat only the plants that actually need it is game-changing.” Tom is also on the SRC farmer advisory board, taking a lead in co-designing SRC’s robotic service.

Craig Livingstone, farm manager at the Lockerley Estate, one of the first UK farms to sign up for SRC’s robotic services, and National Food Strategy Board, commented: “Above all, I want Small Robot Company to give me the confidence not to take action. Robotics offer us a real chance to answer the many questions of modern agriculture in responding to climate change, carbon sequestration, biodiversity and of course soil and food security.” Lockerley was one of the first three farms to trial the technology in the 2021-2022 season, and is now signed up to the services for the 2022-2023 season. Craig is also a member of SRC’s farmer advisory board.

Andrew Hoad, Partner & Head of Waitrose’s Leckford Estate, one of the first UK farms to sign up for SRC’s robotic services, commented: “This technology could be truly groundbreaking and has the potential to shape how we farm in the future. By helping us be more precise and targeted in controlling weeds and managing pests, this next generation of farming robots could in turn help us protect biodiversity on our land and preserve the natural environment for future generations.” The Leckford Estate was one of the first three farms to trial the technology in the 2021-2022 season, and is now signed up to the services for the 2022-2023 season. Andrew is also a member of SRC’s farmer advisory board.

Will Evans, Oxford Farming Conference Director signed up to the 2023-2024 season, and member of the SRC ‘100 Club’ wider advisory group, commented: “Small Robot Company`s vision for Per Plant Farming encapsulates the future of agriculture - and the scale of opportunity is huge. We`re on the cusp of tremendous change. SRC`s tech is front and centre of the fourth agricultural revolution. The savings that can be made with the Tom robot alone are impressive: and that’s just the first step. Robotic action will be a groundbreaking. This is game-changing."

Tom Martin, LEAF farming ambassador signed up to the 2023-2024 season, and member of the SRC ‘100 Club’ wider advisory group, commented: “This space-age technology combines the high-yielding ambition of modern agriculture with the ‘baby’s breath’ environmental delicacy of traditional and organic farming. I’m incredibly excited, and proud to be a part of this, and we as a nation should be proud. We led the world in the industrial revolution of the mid-18th century, and we can now claim to be taking a lead in food production and environmental protection in the mid-21st century. A farming and food good news story, finally.”

Rob Macklin, the National Trust’s Head of Farming and Soils, comments: “Technology needs to play a big part in solving many of the issues we currently face in farming – particularly improving soil health and carbon sequestration, reducing our reliance on fossil fuel power and fertilisers and avoiding the adverse impacts of synthetic chemicals on the environment. We have started small robot trials at Wimpole and intend to extend trials to other estates in the near future.”