Opico has announced that it will now offer the Rumex range of spot sprayers, initially designed for Bavarian farmers to tackle docks in grassland.
Developed in 2020 by cousins Michael Thier and Thomas Ullrich, the Rumex product range uses artificial intelligence to accurately identify weeds within vegetation. The flagship RXF900 front-mounted 9m machine uses six cameras and two spotlights, with 222 individually controllable nozzles spaced at 40mm.
The chassis is adjustable, enabling it to also work in crop beds from 1.5m to 3m, and the whole unit folds to 3m for transport. Because of the spotlights, the unit can continue to work in poor light conditions, while the bespoke nozzles produce a narrow jet, which means the sprayer can be positioned lower.
It mounts onto the three-point linkage and requires just 50hp. It can reportedly operate during turning manoeuvres and at different speeds, as well as on undulating ground, thanks to the guide wheels.
The all green functionality enables it to work in a wide range of crops, including onion, carrot, potatoes and sugar beet, especially when volunteers are present but the crop has not emerged.
“There is a big market for these sprayers in the UK, especially for onion and carrot growers, but the use of AI technology means there is endless potential for other crops,” explains product specialist Tom Brookes. “The spot sprayer offers clear advantage for growers in terms of cost savings, earlier crop harvests and improved crop quality.”
He adds: “With the cost of chemicals only going one way we anticipate the market to grow for other crop types. As the AI algorithm is continuously refined for wider use, the Rumex sprayer is a future-proof investment that will become increasingly applicable to more crops and weed species”
The Rumex range will be on the Opico stand at Cereals.