Reduce pesticide use with AI, robotics, and biology.
A knowledge and product hub helping farmers and agritech partners move from blanket spraying to precise, biological, and data-driven crop protection.
An IDRO initiative for low-pesticide agriculture innovation.
What is possible today
Pesticide reduction ranges from real-world deployments and published research. Results vary by crop, system, and context.
Four technology pillars
These four areas work together to reduce pesticide dependency across a full crop season.
AI Detection
Cameras, drones, phones, and sensors identify weeds, pests, and diseases early so action is precise and timely.
Robotic Action
Robots perform spot spraying, laser weeding, UV-C treatment, or mechanical removal instead of blanket chemical applications.
Biological Control
Pheromones, natural enemies, microbes, and pest behaviour systems reduce chemical dependency throughout the season.
Decision Intelligence
Weather, crop, pest, and field data combine to guide minimum-pesticide recommendations at the right moment.
Technology pathways
A quick view of the five main approaches to reducing pesticide use through AI, robotics, and biology.
| Pathway | What it does | Pesticide Reduction | Example Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Spot Spraying Robots | Detects weeds or pests and sprays only the target spots, skipping healthy areas. | 50-60% in Indian pilots; up to 90% in some trials | Niqo Robotics, Blue River, Verdant Robotics, Carbon Robotics |
| Non-Chemical Robotic Control | Uses laser, UV-C, vacuum, or mechanical weeding instead of chemicals entirely. | Up to 70% in some deployments | Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder, TRIC Robotics, Verdant SharpShooter |
| Behaviour-Based Biological Control | Uses light, sound, pheromones, and insect behaviour to control pests without chemicals. | Up to 70% lower crop protection cost claimed | AI-GENIX SmartRavager, BraveHawk, eBionic |
| AI Diagnosis Apps | Diagnoses crop problems from photos and provides targeted advice before any spray. | Helps reduce unnecessary spraying; depends on adoption | AI-DISC, GreendaAI, CropFix, ClubAgro |
| Ecosystem-Based Crop Health | Combines AI, robots, biological controls, and healthy field ecosystems for whole-system pest reduction. | 50%+ system-level reduction target | One Crop Health and similar research programs |
From the field
Real projects showing what is possible when AI, robotics, and biological tools are deployed at farm scale.
Niqo Robotics
Niqo Robotics developed an AI-powered robot that identifies cotton pests and sprays only where needed. Pilots in Indian cotton fields showed meaningful reductions in chemical use compared to blanket spraying.
Demonstrates that precision AI spraying is viable at scale in Indian smallholder contexts, not just large Western farms.
Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder
Carbon Robotics built a tractor-pulled robot that uses high-power lasers to destroy weeds at the seedling stage. No herbicides are applied to the eliminated weeds.
Laser weeding proves that non-chemical intervention can operate at commercial speed and scale, reducing herbicide dependency significantly.
TRIC Robotics
TRIC Robotics focuses on autonomous mechanical and thermal weed control, targeting the root zone without chemical inputs. Their system works in narrow row crops where sprayers struggle.
Shows that mechanical precision robotics can replace herbicide applications in crops where chemical alternatives are costly or restricted.
How farmers get started
A practical four-step process any farmer or FPO can follow to move toward low-pesticide crop protection.
Diagnose before spraying
Photograph the problem and identify the pest, disease, or weed before reaching for a chemical.
Monitor pest threshold
Spray only when pest population crosses a practical action threshold, not on a fixed calendar.
Use targeted control
Apply spot spraying, manual removal, pheromone traps, or robotic intervention before broad chemical use.
Record and improve
Keep simple records each season so next year decisions are better informed and costs continue to fall.