WeedBot Pro navigates narrow vine rows, works beneath the canopy, and removes weeds mechanically — protecting grape quality, soil health, and organic certification.
Under-vine weed management is the most expensive and labour-intensive task in Australian viticulture. Weeds growing directly beneath the vine canopy compete for water, harbour pests, and reduce airflow around fruit clusters — increasing botrytis and downy mildew pressure. Yet this narrow strip is the hardest place to treat.
Herbicides applied under vines risk drift onto leaves and fruit, causing phytotoxicity and residue issues that threaten export markets. Hand hoeing costs $800–$1,200 per hectare per pass, and finding workers willing to do repetitive manual weeding in 35-degree heat is increasingly impossible. Mechanical cultivation with tractor-mounted under-vine cultivators is faster, but damages shallow feeder roots and compacts wet vineyard soils.
WeedBot Pro solves this with a different approach: a lightweight autonomous robot that moves between rows independently, deploying retractable side arms to reach the under-vine strip. At 320kg total weight, it exerts a fraction of the ground pressure of a tractor, preserving soil structure even after winter rain.
Purpose-configured for the geometry, terrain, and sensitivities unique to wine grape production.
Vineyard rows are typically 2.4–3.0 metres apart. WeedBot's vineyard configuration is 1.2m wide, leaving generous clearance for safe passage. LiDAR sensors track trellis posts and wire positions in real time, maintaining centre-line accuracy within 3cm even on sloped terrain.
Retractable weed-removal arms extend 60cm from each side of the chassis, reaching beneath the vine canopy to the trunk zone. Ultrasonic proximity sensors prevent contact with vine trunks, cordons, and irrigation hardware. Arms retract automatically at end posts for row turns.
Ground-penetrating sensors detect subsurface drip lines and limit blade depth accordingly. Above-ground drip tubes are identified optically with a 10cm exclusion buffer. Zero irrigation damage has been reported across all vineyard deployments to date.
Unlike disc cultivators that sever feeder roots, WeedBot's precision blade works at a shallow 2–4cm depth, severing weed taproots while leaving the vine's surface root network intact. This maintains vine vigour and nutrient uptake during the critical flowering and veraison periods.
Many premium vineyards sit on hillside sites. WeedBot handles gradients up to 25 degrees with independent wheel drive and active roll stabilisation, maintaining consistent weed removal across contoured rows and terraced blocks.
In mechanical-only mode, WeedBot uses zero synthetic chemicals. This fully satisfies ACO, NASAA, and EU organic standards. The robot can switch between mechanical and micro-dose chemical modes block-by-block within a single vineyard run.
WeedBot Pro is operating in vineyards across the country's most recognised appellations.
Old-vine Shiraz blocks with deep sandy soils. WeedBot's low ground pressure is critical here — preserving the fragile soil biology that contributes to the Barossa's distinctive terroir. Several estates use WeedBot exclusively for their premium single-vineyard blocks.
Subtropical humidity and summer rainfall drive aggressive weed growth. WeedBot handles the tight 2.4m rows and heavy clay soils of the Hunter, running multiple passes during the growing season to keep weeds suppressed without soil compaction.
Cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on undulating terrain. WeedBot's hill-climbing ability and gentle root-zone management make it especially suited to the Yarra's premium sites where vine stress must be carefully managed.
Long dry summers and gravelly loam soils. WeedBot's solar-powered operation thrives in Margaret River's abundant sunshine, with units regularly achieving 14-hour run days from October through March.
"We trialled WeedBot on our organic Shiraz block and haven't looked back. The under-vine strip is cleaner than we ever achieved with hand hoeing, and we're saving over $900 per hectare per season."
— Vineyard Manager, Barossa Valley| Method | Cost per Hectare | Passes / Season | Root Damage Risk | Organic Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand hoeing | $800–$1,200 | 3–5 | Low | Yes |
| Herbicide spray | $120–$250 | 2–3 | None | No |
| Tractor-mounted cultivator | $200–$400 | 3–4 | High | Yes |
| WeedBot Pro (robotic) | $150–$280 | 4–6 | Very Low | Yes |
Yes. The vineyard configuration features a low-profile frame with 62cm clearance height and retractable side arms that extend beneath the canopy to reach the under-vine strip. Ultrasonic proximity sensors prevent any contact with trunks, cordons, and hanging fruit. The arms automatically retract when approaching end posts and turning into the next row.
No. Ground-penetrating sensors detect subsurface drip lines and adjust blade depth accordingly. For above-ground drip tubes, optical detection identifies irrigation hardware and creates a 10cm buffer zone. Across thousands of hours of vineyard operation, zero irrigation damage incidents have been reported.
Absolutely. In mechanical-only mode, WeedBot Pro uses no synthetic chemicals whatsoever. This fully complies with Australian Certified Organic (ACO), NASAA, and EU organic standards. Several certified organic vineyards in the Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills already rely on WeedBot as their primary under-vine weed management system.