A Nimble-Wheeled Farm Robot Goes to Work in Minnesota

This summer a Minnesota startup began deploying an autonomous robot that rolls between corn plants spraying crop fertilizer. The robot applies fertilizer while the plant is rapidly growing and needs it most. This eliminates the need for using tractors, which can damage the high stalks, and reduces the amount of fertilizer needed earlier in the season, says Kent Cavender-Bares, CEO of the company, Rowbot. Further, by reducing the fertilizer, the robot reduces the amount of nitrogen that can end up polluting waterways after rainstorms. As the machine travels between rows, it can spray two rows of corn on either side of the machine.