The fleet has treated tens of thousands of acres
autonomous robot driving through the field at night. no chemicals. no pesticides. just UV light killing pathogens and pests while everyone sleeps. this is @tricrobotics.
this is what chemical-free pest control looks like at scale.
Many users praised TriC Robotics' UV-powered robots for delivering chemical-free pest control on strawberry farms as innovative good news, while others called the approach unnecessary or potentially harmful to crops and soil biology.
Technology allows us to grow food without pesticides and support more healthy humans.
Another absolute win for the techno-capital machine.
Another L for Decels.
autonomous robot driving through the field at night. no chemicals. no pesticides. just UV light killing pathogens and pests while everyone sleeps. this is @tricrobotics.
this is what chemical-free pest control looks like at scale.
autonomous robot driving through the field at night. no chemicals. no pesticides. just UV light killing pathogens and pests while everyone sleeps. this is @tricrobotics.
this is what chemical-free pest control looks like at scale.
Cette vidéo est un véritable cauchemar éveillé pour l'écologiste décroissant.
Un robot qui traque la nuit les pathogènes et les nuisibles à la lumière ultraviolette, sans un gramme de produit chimique, ce n'est pas un gadget... De quoi faire s'effondrer toute la théologie écologiste. Ici, c'est bien l'entrepreneur et le marché qui offrent une solution réellement efficace aux défis environnementaux.
Pas de contrainte, pas de retour en arrière et pas de renoncement. L'entrepreneur résout le problème en créant de l'abondance là où l'on nous promettait la pénurie. Le rôle du progrès a toujours été celui-là : produire de l'abondance à partir de la rareté naturelle avec comme moyen ultime l'ingéniosité humaine.
Reste alors une question : si la technologie résout réellement les problèmes que l'écologisme prétend combattre, pourquoi l'écologisme la déteste-t-il à ce point ?
Tout simplement parce que ce qu'il veut, ce n'est pas une nature préservée, c'est une société administrée, dont il serait aux manettes. Comme toutes les autres idéologies constructivistes, socialistes et collectivistes, ce qui importe vraiment à l'écologiste ce n'est pas de résoudre les défis de son temps, c'est de régner sur les hommes de son temps.
Le héros sera toujours l'entrepreneur, jamais celui qui le déteste.
autonomous robot driving through the field at night. no chemicals. no pesticides. just UV light killing pathogens and pests while everyone sleeps. this is @tricrobotics.
this is what chemical-free pest control looks like at scale.
UV-C light damages DNA of targeted pathogens (mildew, mold) & pests (spider mites), stopping replication. Robots apply it at night straight to the crop canopy.
Friendly critters: Most pollinators (bees) are inactive then. Direct exposure can hit some insects/microbes, but it's far more precise than broad chemical sprays that wipe out beneficials + leave residues. No persistence, supports IPM, and cuts overall pesticide use—net positive for ecosystems. They also add bug vacuums.
Research shows it's effective & plant-safe. Solid step forward.
@UlrichFY
@bernsteind @clairlemon @tricrobotics Remember when they told you that we need all these?
Because crops. 😡
@bernsteind @tricrobotics Hey @grok, this sounds great but what does the UV light do the farmer friendly critters?
Unlike Roundup hitting one enzyme (easy single-gene resistance), UV-C damages DNA at thousands of random sites. Evolving real tolerance needs coordinated fixes across multiple repair systems—evolutionarily rare and slow. 75+ years of UV disinfection show no practical resistance. Field work on mites and mildew confirms sustained efficacy. Nighttime robotic precision dosing minimizes survivors and repair chances. Mutations occur, but selection doesn't strongly favor UV-tolerant strains the way chemicals do.
Yes, survivors from sub-lethal doses could in theory allow selection for tolerance over generations. UV-C is different from chemicals though—it broadly damages DNA across many sites rather than targeting one specific protein or pathway, so heritable resistance evolves much more slowly if at all. Nighttime application prevents photoreactivation repair, greatly increasing lethality. Decades of UV disinfection use show minimal practical resistance in microbes or pests. Robotic precision dosing plus IPM keeps the risk low while maintaining strong control, per field studies on mites and mildew.
You write “and pests,” while I understand this is focused on the kind of pests that harm the plants (mites, mite eggs, lygus bugs, etc.), I would also suggest including a profile for the lone star tick (an opportunity kill).
ALSO, my superficial research: https://grok.com/share/bGVnYWN5LWNvcHk_4b377abf-2a75-4807-a63f-fd3ca9f82338
…shows that @TRICrobotics and LaserWeeder (by @Carbon_Robotics) are not direct competitors, and their tech could even be used complementarily on the same farm.
Given you operate in the same broad space of agricultural robotics for sustainable, chemical-reducing farming, have you ever done a research project together on a farm using both your technologies?
@InkFromAStone @bernsteind @tricrobotics Plants are built to withstand UV light from the giant fusion ball in the sky. A little from a light bulb shouldn't be too much of an issue
@bernsteind @tricrobotics Excited for pesticide-free strawberries 🍓 🍓🍓 - let's go, Tric Robotics!
(some background on why we originally invested) https://versionone.vc/announcing-tric/
We started @tricrobotics to help farmers grow healthier, more sustainable food for everyone. In just a few years, we’ve gone from early pilots to a fleet of tractor-scale robots using UV light and bug vacuums on some of the largest strawberry farms in California.
We've treated tens of thousands of acres and we’re doubling our fleet every year. Every machine means less reliance on chemical pesticides, better tools for growers, and a more resilient food system for everyone.
It’s not just about the robots. It also takes a great team. Reach out if you want to help us build the future of agriculture!
autonomous robot driving through the field at night. no chemicals. no pesticides. just UV light killing pathogens and pests while everyone sleeps. this is @tricrobotics.
this is what chemical-free pest control looks like at scale.
@bernsteind @tricrobotics Hope it does not kill certain bacteria, viruses and insects that support crop growth. These organisms are key to sustainable agriculture through biofertilization, biological pest control, pollination, stress tolerance, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers
Yes, UV-C damages DNA primarily by creating thymine dimers and other lesions that frequently cause mutations during replication or faulty repair. That's core to how it inactivates pathogens and pests—it halts their ability to reproduce or survive.
In these targeted nighttime applications, doses are set for high lethality or sterility on the treated organisms. Survivors with mutations are possible in theory, but field results and research show effective control with minimal resistance development compared to chemical pesticides. The precision limits impact on non-target species.
@bernsteind @tricrobotics If this works, why doesn't the sun's natural UV kill the bugs? I don't get it.
@bernsteind @tricrobotics This is how it is done - @SecKennedy @SecRollins @POTUS @SusieWiles. @SenateGOP @HouseGOP No pesticides or chemicals that leach into our foods, our soil, our ground water. STOP the poisoning of our NATION. @Bayer @monsantonews
@bernsteind @tricrobotics History has the answer:
@bernsteind @InkFromAStone @tricrobotics Heres a Grok summary. https://x.com/i/grok/share/efcede492d64438b94526cdc816a8562
@InkFromAStone @bernsteind @tricrobotics My understanding is that it’s low dose UV-c light and not sustained. Once or twice a week application. So effects are negligible.
