The Solar Powered Solix Sprayer Promises Big Reduction In Herbicide Use

US based and Brazil founded Solinftec, which  supports agricultural firms with artificial intelligence and sustainable agricultural practices has established partnerships with three more American cooperatives at the beginning of August. Co-Alliance, Carroll FS, and Premier Ag completed the acquisition of additional Solix units after testing and experiencing the benefits provided by the Sprayer solution on their crops. The solar powered Solix Sprayer is the robotic offering from Solinftec, while the Alice AI is the solution it offers for higher farm productivity. The firm hopes to make a full launch of the robot this year in key markets including North America and Brazil, besides China. Cost is likely to be a hindrance in large but devel;oping country markets like India.

The firm claims that around 20 robots covered the American corn belt in 2023 and proved the effectiveness of the Sprayer solution, reducing herbicide volume in the crops by more than 95% through targeted applications that eliminate weeds at their early stages. The sprayer carries 12-gallons of tank capacity and a 40-foot spray boom. Along the boom there are cameras that can spot issues and using machine learning and artificial intelligence, the system can identify weeds and spray.

“In the traditional model, American cooperatives purchase agrochemicals directly from companies in the agricultural pesticides industry and offer spraying services along with the product that will be managed on the field,” explains Leonardo Carvalho, Chief Global Strategy Officer.

With the introduction of the Solix robot, the possibility of change arises in how they charge for the service, not based on the volume of agrochemicals applied but on clean acres. This means a combination of factors such as weed-free area, productivity per acre, and the possibility of establishing a fixed value since the choice of the product to be applied by the Solix platform lies with the Cooperative,” assures the director of strategy at Solinftec.

“Modern agriculture needs technologies like those from Solinftec that redefine the way business and spraying are currently done,” noted Noah Freeman, Senior Director YieldPro at Co-Alliance. “The economic and sustainability benefits generated by Solix in our operations are evident,” said Ryan Priest, Chief Operating Officer at Premier. “We were able to clearly see the benefits that Solinftec’s expertise can offer to American agriculture,” said Chase Sellnow, General Manager at Carroll Service Company. “By adopting this robotic technology, we observed the potential for a coming change in how we conduct our business,” concluded the GM.

In addition to these three cooperatives, WHIN (Wabash Heartland Innovation Network) has also partnered with Solinftec and will continue to use the technology among its members in the next harvest.

The Solix Sprayer promises to keep the fields clean, free from invasive plants, and ensures sustainable production from pre-planting to harvest. The firm claims that the Solix Sprayer is capable of precise herbicide application, enabling efficient control of weeds, preventing their spread, and competition for nutrients with the target crop. Another efficiency point regarding the Sprayer model is its ability to avoid drift during herbicide management since it is a lighter machine operating at a lower speed, providing greater stability in the booms while still respecting the recommended spacing between nozzles, usually 20 inches.

In addition to the weather function, the Sprayer works in conjunction with the ALICE platform, which can provide appropriate wind speed recommendations and optimal windows for spraying crops. The Sprayer is powered by four solar panels that control its drive system and spraying system, providing reports on crop populations, weed identification and densities, insect identification, spraying maps with analysis of inputs, and other data layers for producer analysis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Solix Sprayer can cover up to 50 acres per day, depending on the field’s shape and terrain.