Spraying with autonomous Prospr
Yamaha Agriculture introduces a new herbicide attachment, developed and manufactured by Croplands Equipment. It has been designed for seamless integration with Prospr, the high-performance autonomous hybrid vehicle platform of Yamaha Agriculture for orchards and vineyards. “Specialty crop growers are looking for practical, scalable automation technologies that can help them be more sustainable, efficient and profitable […]
Yamaha Agriculture introduces a new herbicide attachment, developed and manufactured by Croplands Equipment. It has been designed for seamless integration with Prospr, the high-performance autonomous hybrid vehicle platform of Yamaha Agriculture for orchards and vineyards.
“Specialty crop growers are looking for practical, scalable automation technologies that can help them be more sustainable, efficient and profitable today, while also preparing for the future”, says Yamaha Agriculture President and CEO Nolan Paul.
Prospr is a modular, AI-powered vehicle and can accommodate attachments for a range of tasks. The new herbicide attachment highlights the platform’s flexibility to seamlessly support multiple applications across vineyards and orchards throughout the growing cycle.
The new herbicide capability addresses automation that integrates seamlessly into existing programs, particularly where labor availability and timing are a challenge, such as weed control which impacts the quality and performance of the grown crop.
Switching tools quickly
Designed to integrate seamlessly with the Prospr vehicle, growers can switch tools quickly and automate a wider range of orchard and vineyard tasks. The system delivers precise weed-control application, designed to reduce waste and improve operational efficiency across every pass, even in unpredictable conditions.
Key features include:
- Automated spraying functions including nozzle activation, tank agitation, liquid level sensing, and real-time rate adjustments based on vehicle speed.
- Mechanical breakaway boom arms designed to absorb impact and help protect crops and equipment when operating around trees, vines, and posts.
- Flexible chemical management with options for direct tank mixing or inline dosing for more precise concentration control and application management.
All herbicide attachment configurations integrate with the Yamaha Agriculture management and planning interface, including the multi-vehicle remote (MVR), enabling operators to supervise and manage multiple autonomous vehicles from a single interface, effectively and safely.
Wide range of tasks
Prospr is already in operation in orchard and vineyard management across the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. With autonomy designed to scale from small, complex blocks to large, contiguous production environments, Prospr supports a wide range of orchard and vineyard tasks, including intelligent crop spraying and herbicide spray application.
“Prospr was designed as a flexible autonomous platform capable of supporting multiple tools and attachments from various manufacturers on a single vehicle, while integrating field operations with data and analytics. Its hybrid diesel-electric drive system supports up to 40 hours of runtime and reduces fuel consumption by up to 70%, while precision spraying technologies, remote fleet management capabilities, and multi-vehicle operation helps growers improve operational efficiency, consistency, sustainability, and safety across orchard and vineyard operations,” said Nolan Paul.
The Prospr platform features fast row-to-row turns designed for efficient operation in tight orchard and vineyard environments, alongside job planning and speed-controlled zones that help standardize operations and support more consistent passes with greater productivity. A specifically designed chassis and tire configuration are designed to reduce ground compaction, while connectivity, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and remote diagnostics support uptime and fleet management for high tempo growing operations. Precision spraying capability includes electrically driven Quantum fans with zone and fan-level control for optimum chemical application, while multi-vehicle operation enables one to two operators to supervise a team of Prospr autonomous vehicles working collaboratively.
