Own weeding robot in 2026 after trial with Maverick and Tor
Last year, Emiel van Hootegem gained experience with 2 weeding robots through a pilot project. This year, the Maverick from Odd.Bot and the Tor from Trabotyx are operational. In 2026, he plans to purchase a robot.
In the third week of May, the Maverick weeding robot from Odd.Bot is independently making rounds in the onion field of Emiel van Hootegem, an arable farmer in the Dutch village of Kruiningen. Since spring 2024, the Zeeland-based farm has participated in the Interregproject Smart Farming & Food Processing. This project focuses on the use of smart technologies in which farmers, technology developers and research institutions collaborate. “In the project, we are testing weed control robots in onions, carrots and parsnips,” says Emiel van Hootegem.
Spreading risk
Van Hootegem cultivates around 20 different crops. “With such a range, we spread market risk. But the main reason is crop rotation, which helps prevent diseases and pests.” That is especially important since the farm has been operating biodynamically (BD) since 2013. “Before that, we were already organic, to work as sustainably as possible without chemicals. Demand for BD products is growing—we supply to processors, industry and packers.”
Chemical crop protection products are not permitted in BD farming. “I see that as an advantage, because crops grow more steadily and mechanical weeding with hoeing and harrowing works much better. We have always needed a lot of labour for manual weeding.” Increasing labour costs and the difficulty of finding good staff prompted Van Hootegem to trial weeding robots. “Finding the right people is very difficult. A robot helps us work faster and more efficiently. That improves yields, crop quality and profitability.
2 robots in 2024
Last year, Van Hootegem trialled two 1.5-metre-wide weeding robots: the Maverick from Odd.Bot and a mechanical weed robot from Trabotyx. Both robots mechanically remove in-row weeds based on weed detection using AI. Hoeing is still done between rows. This year, the Maverick first works in onions and will later move to carrots. “Due to drought, we are sowing carrots later than last year,” says the Zeeland farmer. Mid-June, the Tor—the new robot from Trabotyx—will arrive. This robot uses laser technology for weed control, unlike the earlier Trabotyx models which used a rotating blade underground to cut weeds. “Trabotyx will soon present the new robot, which we will also test,” Van Hootegem explains.
Improving technology
The robot from Odd.Bot weeds mechanically using gripping arms and AI weed detection. The gripping arms press small weeds into the soil and pull out larger ones that can be gripped. “This year, the Maverick is performing better than last year, when the robot often stalled. Early this season, it struggled to distinguish grasses from onions, but that has now improved. The technology is developing rapidly. In carrots, the robot has fewer issues, as grasses are easier to distinguish from carrots than from onions.” Last year was unusual, with a lot of weed pressure, so manual weeding was still needed.
A weeding robot in 2026
“I am certain that I will own a weeding robot next season. It is a necessity, as we can no longer find enough manual weeders, and it is too expensive. In carrots alone, it takes 100 hours of manual weeding per hectare, which costs €3,000 per hectare. With 10 hectares of carrots, that adds up quickly. The same goes for onions and parsnips,” says Van Hootegem, who sees that robot technology is developing quickly. “Robots are becoming mainstream in organic arable farming. Labour remains scarce, and robots take over labour-intensive tasks while working with high precision day and night. Robots are not cheap, but the significant annual labour savings and higher crop yields make the investment worthwhile.”
The Odd.Bot costs around €100,000. Trabotyx, the manufacturer of the Tor weeding robot, has not yet disclosed the price of its new laser model. “In any case, the price is such that the investment is feasible even for growers with less than 100 hectares. The payback time is estimated at three to four years,” says Tim Kreukniet, co-founder and CEO of weeding robot manufacturer Trabotyx. The laser robot heats weeds with a laser beam, causing them to die off.
Guarantee scheme would support robot adoption
“The weeding robots are still in development and there are some teething problems,” says Van Hootegem. “Investing in a weeding robot is a significant step and a risky investment.” According to the Zeeland grower, introducing a guarantee scheme would certainly encourage robot adoption in agriculture and horticulture. “It would reduce the risk for growers wanting to start with this. If manufacturers guarantee a buy-back option in case the robot does not meet agreed expectations after a set period, that would be an incentive to invest.”
