Blossom

Context

Farmers face a growing challenge in weed control. Weeds can significantly reduce crop yields, yet the available solutions are increasingly under pressure. Chemical herbicides are facing restrictions, and licenses for specific crops are not being extended. Conventional mechanical weeding often cannot remove weeds growing close to crop plants, and manual weeding is labour-intensive, expensive, and increasingly difficult due to shortages of seasonal workers.

At the same time, European agriculture is being challenged to reduce its environmental footprint while maintaining productivity and competitiveness. Farmers need solutions that are both sustainable and economically viable.

Trabotyx, a Dutch agri-tech company founded by young entrepreneur Tim Kreukniet, is developing autonomous precision robots for agriculture. The company aims to help farmers transition from broad, labour-intensive interventions towards plant-level precision management. In conjunction with partners, Trabotyx has launched the Blossom project to address one of the most persistent bottlenecks in flower bulb crop production: effective and affordable weed control.

The project needed to bridge the gap between promising robotic technologies and practical farm application. By putting advanced mechanical and laser-based weed removal in real field conditions, the partners are seeking to demonstrate that precision robotics can reduce chemical dependency, improve farm profitability, and support the growth of sustainable agriculture. The project also contributes to Europe's wider transition towards digital, climate-smart, and pesticide-free food production systems.​ ​​Blossom is building on the l​essons learned from the MoveBig EIP-AGRI project that validated laser weeding in vegetable production.

Objectives

The project aims to develop a viable alternative to chemical weeding in flower bulb crop production. The growers within Brightbloom are looking for an affordable non-chemical alternative that allows them to continue to grow flower bulbs within the Netherlands. ​​They are looking to enable highly precise, plant-level weed control that cannot be achieved with existing mechanical weeding techniques. This in turn will reduce the need for disruptive soil cultivation and support more sustainable crop management practices.

The initiative will accelerate the adoption of smart farming technologies within the flower bulb agriculture sector and contribute to the transition towards pesticide-free and resource-efficient food production systems, creating a scalable and validated business model that can be adopted by flower bulb​ and vegetable​ growers across Europe.​

Activities

The CAP-funded activities include the development, testing, validation, and dissemination of an innovative robotic weed-control system for chemical-free flower bulb farming.

Identification of technical and practical requirements. The project started with an assessment of the weed-control challenges faced by flower bulb growers. Together, Trabotyx and the Brightbloom growers ​defined the functional requirements for a robotic system capable of removing weeds that cannot be controlled effectively without chemical herbicides.

Design and development of the robotic weeding system. Trabotyx developed an innovative prototype combining mechanical weed removal technologies with a high-precision 120W blue laser system. The system was designed to identify and eliminate individual weeds at plant level while minimising disturbance to the crop and soil.

Integration and optimisation of technologies. Different drilling, milling, and laser configurations were integrated and evaluated to target a wide range of weed species and growth stages. Test results indicated that increasing laser treatment duration offered greater potential for improving weed control than further development of mechanical treatment systems. Optimisation activities therefore concentrated on enhancing laser-based treatments, while software and control systems were refined to improve accuracy and operational efficiency.

Field testing under commercial farming conditions. In 2025, the consortium collected lily bulb data. The following year, it had two TOR autonomous laser weeding systems in the field to carry out operational testing in six different fields throughout the Netherlands.​ In 2027, the system will be used in a commercial setting with the goal of reducing herbicides by 80%. Performance is being evaluated in different crops, weed pressures, and field conditions to assess technical reliability and effectiveness.

Validation of economic feasibility. The project is assessing ​chemical reductions, operational costs, and weed-control performance to determine whether the robotic system can support a viable and scalable business model for flower bulb farming.

Knowledge exchange and dissemination. By the halfway point, the project results had been shared at five different events. ​​​Additionally, the initiative has featured on national television news, as well as in industry publications. ​​

​​Multiple students are working with Trabotyx to improve the system, both in terms of engineering and in communication and marketing. Finally, the results are being shared within the Groen Kennisnet non-academic platform for agricultural innovation at Wageningen University.

Generational Renewal

The project is led by two young entrepreneurs, who founded Trabotyx and represent a new generation of agricultural innovators combining farming, engineering, robotics, and entrepreneurship. Dutch international horticultural company and project partner Zabo Plant (a company that brings practical expertise and an extensive horticultural network to the project) has meanwhile recently integrated three young people into its business , and 50% of the management team is now aged under 40.

The project ​engages ​​multiple ​​students from different research institutions ​ as interns to ​learn about ​emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine vision, autonomous vehicles, and laser applications in agriculture, helping them develop future-oriented skills.

By demonstrating that agriculture can be a high-tech and innovation-driven sector, the project helps attract young talent to farming, agri-tech, and rural entrepreneurship. Young farmers also benefit from access to innovative solutions that address labour shortages and improve business viability, creating new opportunities for sustainable farm development. 

Main Results

The project has proven that laser weeding can effectively reduce herbicide use by 80%. A single TOR has a daily capacity of 1.25 hectares, and can take out 200 000 weeds in that time. To make it economically and operationally feasible, one TOR needs to weed three hectares per day. For 2027, the number of lasers and the wattage will be doubled to obtain a far larger capacity, while only increasing the price by 40%. 

​A successful kill rate of 95% has been achieved for dicotyledonous weeds. However, testing showed that grassy weeds required a different approach. Software improvements were therefore made, and the kill rate increased from 30% to 75%.

The technology developed supports pesticide-free crop production and creates opportunities for the wider adoption of sustainable weed-control methods in flower bulb and low-input farming systems. Results generated through the project provide an evidence base for future commercial deployment and scaling across different crops and regions.

​​​​The fact that the solution is non-chemical provides Dutch flower bulb growers with a licence to operate in the Netherlands, which is critical to keeping farming eco-systems intact. It also reduces dependence on scarce seasonal labour, increasing resilience and providing farmers with greater operational flexibility.

Key lessons

​​​​The focus of the project was on helping the 800 ​flower bulb farmers ​in the Netherlands who are facing chemical restrictions, as well as vegetable growers seeking sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to chemical weeding and intensive mechanical weed control. For the initiative to work, however, the project managers realised that it was crucial to interest agricultural technology companies and machinery manufacturers  in developing and scaling autonomous farming solutions from the outset, to fulfil the technical side of the project and to make it viable financially.

Similarly, it was key to involve farm advisers and agricultural consultants (to support farmers in the adoption of innovative and sustainable production methods), and researchers and innovation networks already working on precision agriculture, automation, and sustainable crop production for their feedback and advice.