Sugar beet yields of 90t/ha from a field planted and weeded using an autonomous robot have underscored the potential of using a system that can reduce herbicide costs by up to 80%.
However, as with any new technology, first-year field-scale trials have also highlighted some of the challenges that still need to be overcome.
Around 150ha of sugar beet were drilled as part of the two-year project using an imported Robotti LR at two Sentry farms in spring 2022 in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.
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A key aim for Sentry on its farms is to optimise applications, reduce waste and look after the surrounding environment, explains its director of farming, John Barrett.