SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Bilberry, a French technology company specializing in selective spraying systems for sustainable farming. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to certain closing conditions and regulatory approval. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Farmers face a variety of challenges including rising production costs, increasing weed resistance to herbicides and expanding regulations to encourage more sustainable farming practices. These regulations target improving soil restoration, soil fertility and nutrient management as well as reducing the use of chemicals, particularly those that pose a risk for health or the environment. Selective spraying solutions are ideal to help farmers address these challenges.
Bilberry is a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology that identifies a wide variety of weed species in real time for a broad range of crop types. The system allows sprayers to be retrofitted with the technology to apply herbicide to only weeds(green-on-green) rather than spraying an entire crop or bare ground. It also enables farmers to visualize their crops on a weed density map so they can track the evolution of problem areas. Bilberry was one of the first companies to make this technology commercially available and case studies have shown that the system can reduce the use of herbicides by more than 80 percent, while protecting the environment and significantly lowering input costs for farmers.
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