By Scout Nelson
Farmers and scientists are calling this a great year for agriculture in North Dakota, with flourishing crops. However, this success also brings challenges, including invasive species and weeds.
Joe Ikley, a weed specialist from the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension, highlights Kochia as the worst weed in the state. “We don’t want weeds because they are competing with our crops for nutrients, sunlight, etc.,” said Ikley.
Invasive weeds can significantly alter ecosystems and pose problems in rural areas. To combat this, NDSU professor Rex Sun and PhD students developed a robot. “With our robot, our AI technology can recognize the weed-specific location and kill the weed for you, potentially saving 50-70% of herbicide usage,” said Sun.
PhD students in biosystems engineering emphasize the robot’s value despite the challenging development process. “As we recognize the weed’s particular location, this robot will move to that location. The Delta arm will go to that location and pull the weed mechanically,” explained Arzun Upadhyey, a PhD student at NDSU.
Sun acknowledges that the farming industry faces issues like labor shortages, high product costs, and environmental health maintenance. However, he believes this innovation could address some of these problems.
The robot is mobile and can navigate various terrains. “This system drives with two batteries. We drive the system with two batteries, and the remaining two batteries are connected to solar,” Upadhyey added.
This technology is especially beneficial for organic farmers since it involves no spraying. Sun also mentioned ongoing projects with farmers, including a canola nitrogen monitoring system and collaboration with the USDA to diagnose sunflower diseases.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-shotbydave
Categories: North Dakota, Crops, Equipment & Machinery