GrassVision - Automated application of herbicides to broad-leaf weeds in grass crops

GrassVision will use imaging and precision agriculture techniques to develop a novel spray apparatus

for precision application of herbicides to broad-leaf weeds in grass crops. The GrassVision consortium

consists of imaging experts (Center for Machine Vision, UWE), data analysis experts (Aralia Ltd.) and

precision agriculture experts (SoilEssentials Ltd.). Sustainable production requires weed control methods

to reduce herbicide use to comply with current and future EU legislation. The primary focus will be to

detect weeds using novel 3D machine vision techniques. Initially the project will use off-the-shelf

machinery to spray a targeted area around each weed, with an estimated aimed decrease in herbicide

use of around 75%.The project will then look to determine the limits of precision by refining the boom

itself. Using this approach, we hope to achieve an ideal target of a 5x5cm spray area per-weed,

providing potential reductions in herbicide use in excess of 90 %.