BY THE ARUSHA NEWS REPORTER
Integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and laser technology is being tested in Arusha as a possible alternative to herbicides, offering a glimpse into the future of digital farming in Tanzania.
Researchers from the Aga Khan University’s Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre (AKU-ACER), working with the Simon Fraser University of Canada, have tested an Al-powered robot known as Lite Weed to control pests without the use of chemicals.
The machine uses cameras and artificial intelligence to identify weeds before targeting them with a low-power precision laser. During trials in Arusha, researchers recorded 96 per cent short-term above-ground weed necrosis, showing promising potential for non-chemical weed control.
However, researchers stressed that the study measured visible damage to weeds rather than long-term mortality, meaning further trials were required. Prof Emmanuel Sulle, Director of AKU-ACER, said agricultural innovation must respond to the realities of the communities expected to use it. “It is not enough to build technology,” Prof Sulle said, adding: “Technology is for the people.”
The prototype has been designed with affordability in mind and researchers estimate its integrated components at around Canadian Dollars 500 (T. Project leader Prof Woo Soo Kim described the technology as an “affordable solution for small-scale farmers in constrained regions.”
The robot currently works best on young weeds at relatively low densities and still requires improvement before it could be used efficiently on larger farms.
For Tanzania, the research raises an important possibility, reducing herbicide use while introducing precision technology that could eventually help farmers control weeds more sustainably. The Arusha trials show that the future of farming could increasingly combine traditional agricultural practices with artificial intelligence.
