Tel Aviv, Israel
15th October 2024
- Farmers achieve typical cost saving of $25-$35 per acre
- Herbicide reduction increased to 92% in pre-emergence applications, while corn and soybean farmers achieved an 84% and 82% average reduction, respectively
End-of-season data released today by precision spraying pioneer Greeneye Technology reveals its customers achieved an 87% average reduction in non-residual herbicide use in 2024, translating to typical cost savings of $25 to $35 per acre.
Herbicide reduction increased to 92% in pre-emergence applications, while corn and soybean farmers achieved an 84% and 82% average reduction, respectively, according to the figures.
“The issue we are having is that traditional methods of spraying are not killing all the weeds,” comments Brad Janzen, a corn and soybean farmer in Nebraska. “We needed to be able to spray at a higher rate or use a different combination of herbicides to be able to kill those weeds. And with the Greeneye system, we can do that and save money.”
Greeneye’s end-of-season results are derived from systems deployed across eight* U.S. states and showcase the technology’s ability to optimize weed management in different terrains, weather conditions, and in till, reduced-till, and no-till fields.
Oklahoma farmer Scott Arthaud has realised savings of 50-95% since retrofitting his existing spraying with the Greeneye system
Based in the Oklahoma Panhandle, Arthaud Family Farms grows wheat, corn, grain sorghum, and sunflowers. “We often face extended droughts in our area, and weed control is paramount to moisture preservation and yield success,” explains owner Scott Arthaud. “With the Greeneye system, we can spray pre-emergence at the same time we spot spray for the weeds. We spend less money on chemicals—depending on weed pressure, we see between 50-95% savings. In post-emergent applications, the yield drag is drastically reduced, which translates into real money. Plus, we can use stronger chemicals that really target the herbicide-resistant weeds.”
These results come at the end of Greeneye’s second fully-commercial season in the U.S. The system’s aftermarket design enables farmers to seamlessly transition from broadcast to precision spraying of herbicides and other inputs using their existing machine, overcoming a major cost-of-entry barrier for many farmers.
Today, Greeneye is the only company to offer a dual-line system for the aftermarket segment without subscription fees—three elements considered critical to ensure farmers achieve the fastest possible return on their investment while adhering to agronomic best practice. Earlier this year, the company introduced “Canopy Mode”, broadening the system’s precision application capabilities to inputs such as fungicides and micronutrients.
Image shows Boeck Seeds’ Greeneye retrofit facility. Boeck Seeds has employed an extra salesperson to deal with the expected high level of demand for the Greeneye system.
Nadav Bocher, CEO at Greeneye Technology, says: “We are extremely pleased to announce the results of the 2024 commercial season in the U.S. Behind these figures are real farmers who now have the tools they need to significantly reduce chemical use and costs, tackle resistance and drift, improve weed control efficacy, and increase crop health and yields, all while improving the sustainability of their operations.”
The 2024 end-of-season data mirrors the successful results from ongoing field trials at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), which shows the Greeneye system achieved a significant 70-95% reduction in the use of non-residual herbicides. Professor Amit Jhala, Extension Weed Specialist at UNL, comments: “I was extremely impressed with the results we have seen. Even in field conditions when the sprayer is moving at between 12 and 15 mph, it has an excellent ability to detect weeds as small as one centimeter.”
The growing adoption of the Greeneye system also extends to other stakeholders within the ag ecosystem, including retailers, co-operatives, and dealers. In May, Greeneye partnered with Nebraska-based retailer and precision farming equipment dealer, Boeck Seed Services, to open the first in a planned nationwide network of Greeneye dealerships to provide local sales, installation, and support.
Cody Boeck, Operations Director at Boeck Seeds, says: “Weed control is without a doubt the biggest challenge facing our customers—and, at the moment, it is a challenge they are losing. I think over the next five to ten years, you’re going to see a huge chasm between farms that adopt [precision spraying] technology and those that don’t. The ROI is too obvious, and the environmental benefits are undeniable. There’s a ton of benefits that we’re going to unlock, and [Greeneye’s] technology is going to be a major reason for that.”
*Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Illinois, Texas, Kansas, Minnesota, and Iowa
Greeneye’s precision spraying technology was deployed across eight U.S. states this year
About Greeneye Technology
Greeneye Technology was founded in 2017 in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the mission to develop alternative and sustainable solutions to current crop protection practices to meet the growing global demand for food production while also increasing productivity and profitability for farmers. The company is pioneering the use of precision spraying technology by harnessing AI and deep machine learning to enable intelligent, real-time decisions in the field that are proven to cut chemical use by 87% on average and improve weed control efficacy compared to standard broadcast spraying. Its founders have worked together for 20 years since serving in the Israeli special forces and head up a multidisciplinary team with expertise in computer vision, AI, agronomy, mechanical engineering, and business. In 2022, Greeneye became the first company to launch precision spraying technology commercially in the U.S., finally making mainstream adoption of precision spraying technology a reality by overcoming previous barriers including efficacy, speed of delivery, and cost. To date, the company has raised $40m in funding.
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