Ecorobotix’s ARA ultra-high precision smart sprayer has a wide range of applications from horticulture to cash crops to forage.
The Swiss agtech’s six-metre field sprayer displayed its prowess during a field demonstration at Smith Gardens, near Queensville, for the AgRobotics Demo Day on July 9.
Why it matters: Originally developed to address pasture weeds affecting dairy milk, the system easily adapts to identify weeds in onions, carrots, or other crops, especially early in growth.
The ARA uses a three-phase AI technology within its control tablet that instantly analyzes images to identify individual crops or weeds for targeted spraying by plant and plant size.
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“We can spray only the weeds, but also spray everything except the crop, including the ground,” explained Olivia Soares de Camargo, agronomist and Ecorobotix’s project manager business development said the ARA . “We can also spray only the crop, so if you wanted to do fungicides or insecticides.”
The variable-height fine spraying nozzle action enables proximity to the ground early in the planting season, and the protective covers reduce drift by over 90 per cent.
She said the spot spray setting allows for increased selective herbicide dosage in tolerant crops, providing a more effective weed control program. In contrast, the “safety zone” creates a buffer zone around the crop, ideal for non-selective applications.
Soares de Camargo advises against using the ARA on weeds larger than 15.7 inches/40 centimetres, saying the limit is due to the herbicide’s effectiveness on more developed plants, not the unit’s capability.
In terms of ROI, Soares de Camargo said it depends on the timing of the application, the price of products, and the replacement of human activity.
For example, early application and offsetting hand-pulling labour savings on a large operation see an ROI within a season, she said. Not to mention the side benefits, particularly in onions, of an increased per-acre yield, as well as an increase in bulb size.
Univerco, Ecorobotix’s Canadian dealer since 2023, has sold out of its 2025 units and is accepting orders for 2026, priced at US$268,000 for the unit and software, plus a US$15,000 annual license fee, said Alain Gregoire, general manager.
Having sold over 30 units nationwide, especially in Quebec and Ontario, Gregoire didn’t expect interest in the Western provinces, driven primarily by the canola algorithm, which eliminates volunteer canola.
“That was one thing we didn’t foresee,” said Gregoire, adding that it has a secondary application to eliminate male canola for seed growers, reducing labour costs associated with hand pulling.
