Startup launches system to reduce pesticide application, save costs

 

Startup Eirene Solutions has introduced the intelligent Savefarm spray, which promises to save 50% to 95% of costs by reducing waste in pesticide applications. The novelty was presented during the official opening of the Rice Harvest, which took place at the Embrapa Clima Temperado Experimental Station in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

 

Savefarm identifies weeds to analyze images with algorithms, computational vision and infrared emission. After reading, the equipment, which is installed in the spray bar, makes precise herbicide applications only in the required areas.

 

With this technology, it is possible to prevent the agrochemical from being wasted in places where there are no invasive plants. According to the manufacturer, Savefarm brings about productivity gains, avoiding greater environmental impacts.

 

"In the current method, for example, it is sprayed in 100% of the area, with plants or without. With this system of cameras installed in spray vehicles, the application occurs only where there are plants. When the vehicle moving, the spray nozzles open or shut. The cameras detect what is a weed, what is cultivation and what is soil," explained electrical engineer Gabriel Borges, a partner at Eirene Solutions.

 

According to him, the startup's goal is to reduce "one of the producer's biggest expenses", which can mean millions in losses. "We've studied a way to mitigate this excessive spending. It is important that the producer sees with his own eyes and notices the difference in the pocket of the investment made, also seeing the effectiveness of the service that the system offers. Nowadays, technology exists to improve people's lives, so why keep wasting money if we have a technology that uses the same processes and still offers savings? It's a smart choice."

 

Borges revealed that the technology is already developed, and now the company is in a phase of immersion in the market, with the capture of clients for tests. Created eight years ago, Eirene Solutions is part of the Startup RS Agrotech program, and is headquartered in the Scientific and Technological Park of the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-RS).

 

After passing through the acceleration process, Eirene Solutions received a contribution of R$3 million from the investment company Techtools Ventures, which operates in Brazil, Europe and the United States. The contribution is aimed at accelerating the launch of the new versions of SaveFarm.

 

According to Eduardo Marckmann, founder and partner of Eirene, "With the patented technology in Brazil and the contribution of Techtools Ventures, we will expand the commercial area and start the process of internationalization of the company," The Brazilian startup ranks third in the ranking organized by 100 Open Startups, among the most innovative in the agribusiness sector.

 

"The UN estimates that the world will need 70% more food for the population by 2050, which will significantly increase the need for productivity in fields. That is why we are investing in technology in the field and we are confident that technology will be essential for this market evolution," said Marckmann.