Time recognized six agricultural technologies in plant genetics, robotics, pollinator management, circular agriculture, and nutrient recycling. Winners include BioLumic's xTraits platform, the Thorvald vineyard robot from Saga Robotics, Beewise's Robi, Burro's Grande 44 agricultural robot, the 2nd Nature AgWaste Portal, and VunaNexus's Aurin, a fertilizer derived from recycled human urine.
Time says rankings are created objectively by editors and application fees neither influence inclusion nor placement. The editorial team collected nominations from staff worldwide and online submissions, evaluating candidates by originality, effectiveness, ambition, and impact.
UV light protects crops without fungicide
The Thorvald robot from Saga Robotics uses an approach the company calls "Farming with Light." The robot operates autonomously at night, traveling through vineyards and strawberry fields and exposing plants to UV-C light against powdery mildew, sharply reducing the need for conventional fungicides. By 2026, Thorvald treated an estimated 30 percent of British strawberry production on raised beds and protected around 2,500 acres of California vineyards. The platform also captures image data growers use for harvest forecasting. Salih Hodzhov of WB Chambers Farms calls accurate harvest forecasts one of the berries industry's biggest challenges and reports substantial improvements after two years with Saga.
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