Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

asdaaaaaaaa t1_itport8 wrote

Reply to comment by wheenus in This new farming robot uses lasers to kill 200,000 weeds per hour by diacewrb

> No harsh bs chemical

There's a lot of "harsh bs chemicals" that are specifically derived from plants themselves, and don't do much/any long term damage. The issue is plants become resistant towards herbicides, meaning you have to have multiple methods that you cycle throughout seasons. I see no reason why the plants wouldn't adapt to this either.

If this actually works (not just in testing), and is cheaper than chemicals, I can see it being popular.

3

wheenus t1_itpoxww wrote

Well obviously plant based herbicides aren't bs, but how many large farms do you think uses those?

Edit: Why do people get into these confrontations than block you before anything happens, don't even know what was said here....

3

asdaaaaaaaa t1_itpp7p1 wrote

>how many large farms do you think uses those?

Depends on the specific setup and weeds they're combating. They're actually quite popular for herbicides. Made up about half at every place I've worked in the past, but nowadays I can see them being used a lot more. That being said, simply being made/derived from plants doesn't make them safe for the environment though.

3

parad0xchild t1_itq5cul wrote

The weeds would have to adapt to being burned alive. Maybe by building a more thicker and heat resistant "skin", but would have to do that without using all its energy to do so.

In a horrible future its an arm race of higher temp lasers against weeds, that results in scene of a burning field of crops, with robots tangled in weeds shooting erratically as the farmer hides in the cellar for their life. Skynet becomes self aware, and the only solution to weeding is to destroy humans who categorize things as weeds, but the AI has categorized humans as weeds. Global famine and war ravage the human race, all because we wanted to burn some weeds.

1