Previewed at Sima earlier this year, Kuhn is currently field testing the i-spray concept in different crops close to the plant at Saverne, in France.
Still very much an R+D concept, the Carbon Bee-developed system relies on boom-mounted hyperspectral sensors spaced at 3.0m intervals on a 24.0m boom to scan crops for weeds. The images are processed by a computer, which sends a signal to open and close individual nozzles to spot-spray weeds.
Earlier this year, Kuhn said that the goal is to develop a system that is accurate at speeds of up to 15km/hr. Field tests have confirmed that even faster speeds might be possible, and the company is talking about chemical savings of up to 80%.
The company reckons that the technology opens the possibility of managing herbicide resistance, by using more targeted active substances. However, more time is needed to develop it for the European market, is the message, and there is no news of when the option will be added to the price lists.
