© Fogelina Cuperus
Robotic Intercropping
An interdisciplanary research project funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation to co-design robotics and intercropping systems.
Our Vision
When you think of a farm now, you quickly think of a tractor. In the future, we believe you will think of robots.
The Robotic Intercropping (RIC) project envisions a future where lightweight autonomous robots work side by side with farmers to manage diverse intercropping systems. While modern agriculture has long focused on efficiency through monocultures, fertilizers, and pesticides, these systems also challenge biodiversity and soil health. RIC explores a different path forward: growing cash and service crops together to create more resilient and sustainable farming systems. As large and heavy machinery is not suited for these complex field systems, we imagine autonomous robots becoming key partners for farmers in the future.
Find out more about our vision in the video below.
© Javiera Patricia Aravena-Calvo
Meet us in our Living Labs!
We invite stakeholders and the public to come to our experimental fields in Taastrup and Wageningen, where we we bring people together to co-design solutions and share insights.
Save the date!
Our Robotic Intercropping Field Day 2026 will take place on 24th September in Taastrup. More information and the registration link will follow soon.
Key Challenges
Complexity of management
Intercropping systems require more intricate management than monoculture due to the spatial and temporal interactions between crops. This includes challenges in sowing, weeding, and harvesting operations.
Resource competition
Cash and service crops compete for the same essential resources: light, water, and nutrients. Balancing this competition to ensure the productivity of cash crops while benefiting from the ecosystem services of service crops is a critical challenge.
Technological limitations
Current machinery and tools are not suited to the precise and flexible requirements of intercropping. Research and innovations in sensing, robotics and automation are necessary to address these limitations.
Ecological trade-offs
Although intercropping offers benefits like weed suppression and reduced nitrate leaching, managing these systems to optimize both ecological services and crop yields remains difficult.
© Dirk van Apeldoorn
© Dirk van Apeldoorn
© Dirk van Apeldoorn
Focus Areas
Robotic Intercropping consits of five interconnected research areas to address scientific gaps and objectives and one focus area to translate the gained research results into societal impact.
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