BH Frontier Solutions Developing a Weed-Zapping Robot
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 1, 2024 – The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) today unveiled the second in a series of 11 stories illustrating the success of its two 2023 funding calls.
CAAIN’s mandate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is to fund technological responses to the most significant opportunities and challenges facing the nation’s agri-food producers and primary processors. That means supporting promising efforts with the potential to provide economic or environmental value. The featured stories demonstrate that CAAIN is doing just that, as does the $33M it is investing in 36 projects with a combined total value of roughly $100M.
“Our focus is finding and supporting innovators seeking solutions to the biggest challenges facing agri-food producers in Canada and around the world,” said CAAIN CEO, Darrell Petras, P.Ag. “Globally, there are numerous instances of herbicide resistance in weeds. Compounding the increasing ineffectiveness of many chemical applications is the fact that those that remain effective may have a negative environmental impact. The benefits of using the BHF robotic weed zapper are threefold. First, the platform is effective. Plants cannot develop a resistance to electricity. Second, the robotic element is a welcome delivery mechanism at a time of severe agricultural labour shortages. Third there’s none of the soil contamination associated with some chemical spraying. With ISED’s support, we’re funding a solution that delivers the trifecta of benefits: economic, social, and environmental.”
BHF’s Agrobot development is proceeding well, and the company believes it is on track to begin offering its technology to Canadian farmers in late 2025.
For more information, read the full story online.
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The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) is a not-for-profit company launched in July 2019 with funding of $49.5‑million from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, and assistance from Alberta Innovates in the form of significant in-kind contributions. CAAIN drives collaborative agri-food technology research and innovation from coast to coast.
| Project Funding Inquiries Darrell Petras, P.Ag. CEO Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network darrell.petras@caain.ca |
Media Inquiries Eric Morin, CMP Manager, Communications and Marketing Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network 780.405.3742 | eric.morin@caain.ca |
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