A new wave of farm automation is aiming to cut chemical use in food production, led by California-based TRIC Robotics, whose UV-powered robots are helping strawberry growers tackle pests and disease without pesticides.
Tackling One of the Dirtiest Fruits on the Shelf
Strawberries may be a consumer favourite, but they’re also among the most chemically treated fruits in commercial farming. For example, according to the US-based non-profit Environmental Working Group’s 2024 “Dirty Dozen” list, strawberries once again topped the rankings for the highest levels of pesticide residue found on produce in the US. Despite growing demand for organic alternatives, conventional pest control practices in strawberry production remain heavily reliant on chemical sprays, often applied multiple times per week throughout the season.
It’s this issue that San Luis Obispo-based TRIC Robotics set out to address with a radically different approach. For example, rather than spraying crops with synthetic chemicals, the ag-tech company is using ultraviolet (UV-C) light, applied by autonomous robots operating at night, to kill pathogens and deter pests. Early results suggest the method could significantly reduce pesticide use on commercial farms while improving yield and sustainability.
Who Is Behind TRIC Robotics?
TRIC Robotics was founded in 2017 by Adam Stager, who holds a PhD in robotics. The company originally focused on developing mobile robots for law enforcement but pivoted towards agriculture in 2020 after Stager began exploring how automation could be applied to more socially impactful sectors. Through a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) commercialisation programme, he was introduced to dormant UV-light research that had not yet reached the field.
“I really wanted to do something that would have meaningful impact,” Stager told TechCrunch earlier this year. “When I discovered the potential of UV-C for farming, I saw a way to improve food production while reducing harm.”
Alongside co-founders Vishnu Somasundaram and Ryan Berard, TRIC began trialling early prototypes in strawberry fields along the US West Coast. The first robot was built in Stager’s garage and transported cross-country to farms in California, where the majority of US strawberries are grown. Since those early experiments in 2021, the company has expanded to nine robots and secured contracts with several major growers.
How the Technology Works
The system centres around large, tractor-sized autonomous robots, named Eden and Luna, which use UV-C light to control fungal and bacterial pathogens as well as insects such as spider mites. UV-C light, a short-wavelength ultraviolet radiation, damages the DNA of microorganisms, disrupting their ability to reproduce.
The robots operate exclusively at night, when UV-C is most effective and when plants are less vulnerable to stress. Each robot is equipped with adjustable booms, dosing systems, and high-resolution cameras for precision treatment. They can cover 50 to 100 acres each, moving independently through rows and adjusting to uneven terrain and plant height in real time. Vacuum systems are also fitted to remove pest residue and insects from leaves without damaging the crop.
Robots As-A-Service?
Instead of selling robots to farmers outright, TRIC offers a subscription-style “service model” in which robots are delivered, managed, and maintained by the company. Farmers pay roughly the same as they would for conventional spraying but avoid the need for pesticides, re-entry delays, or additional labour.
Environmental and Operational Benefits
The approach offers a clear environmental upside, which is reduced pesticide use. This, in turn, means less chemical runoff into soil and waterways, lower risk to pollinators and other beneficial insects, and fewer residues on produce. It also supports growers aiming to meet organic standards or export restrictions tied to pesticide levels.
From a business perspective, the robots improve consistency, reduce re-spray requirements, and allow treatments to occur more frequently. TRIC claims farms using its robots have seen pesticide use fall by up to 70 per cent, with some reporting yield improvements thanks to better pest and disease control.
The autonomous machines also generate valuable data. Built-in cameras and sensors capture real-time insights on plant health and pest pressure, helping growers monitor performance and make more informed decisions.
Ambition = Automated Crop Protection
TRIC raised $5.5 million in seed funding in mid-2025, led by Version One Ventures, with backing from Garage Capital, Lucas Venture Group, and others. The investment is being used to expand the robot fleet, enhance analytics, and explore the system’s applicability to other crops beyond strawberries.
Stager says the long-term ambition is to provide “automated crop protection” across multiple types of produce. “Agriculture needs practical, scalable solutions to reduce chemical inputs and protect yields,” he told investors during the funding round. “UV-C is one of those solutions—but only if it can be applied efficiently, safely, and at scale.”
TRIC’s approach also highlights a broader shift in ag-tech away from standalone equipment sales towards service-based, data-rich models that mirror the way many farmers already procure services like spraying or fertilisation.
Others in the Field
TRIC is not alone in applying UV-C to agriculture, but its combination of automation, scale, and commercial deployment is relatively rare. One of the best-known alternatives is Norway’s Saga Robotics, whose Thorvald platform uses UV-C light to treat strawberries and grapes in Europe and the US. However, Saga’s robots are smaller, battery-powered, and typically used in research or niche applications.
Other firms, such as FarmWise and Naïo Technologies, are also building autonomous farm machinery, but these generally focus on weeding, harvesting, or mechanical cultivation rather than light-based disease control.
In the greenhouse sector, Dutch firms like Priva and Signify have experimented with UV light for fungal control in tomatoes and cucumbers, but few solutions are currently available for open-field use at scale.
This essentially positions TRIC as one of the most commercially advanced players applying UV-C at field level. Still, the space is expected to grow quickly, with McKinsey predicting that farm robotics and automation will become a $50 billion global market by 2030.
Challenges
Despite promising results, the technology is not without challenges. One concern is the potential for overuse of UV-C, which can damage plant tissue or lead to resistance in certain pest populations if not carefully managed. TRIC’s dosing systems are designed to avoid this, but it remains a technical and biological balancing act.
Another issue is energy use. For example, although TRIC’s early robots were battery-powered, the current versions use on-board diesel generators due to limited field charging infrastructure, thereby raising questions about carbon emissions, especially for a solution marketed on sustainability grounds. TRIC has acknowledged this limitation and says future versions may explore hybrid or fully electric designs as farm infrastructure improves.
There are also operational constraints to consider. For example, the robots work best in certain field layouts and require access to well-maintained paths and consistent planting patterns which is something not all farms can offer without modification. That said, TRIC’s tractor-sized form factor was deliberately chosen to mirror existing spray rigs and reduce disruption.
Also, some industry observers have questioned whether UV-C alone is actually sufficient to replace chemical sprays across a full growing season, especially in regions with high pest pressure. While results from pilot sites have been encouraging, broader third-party trials and peer-reviewed research will be key to long-term credibility.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
If TRIC’s model continues to scale, it may bring about a change in how pest and disease control is delivered across large-scale agriculture. By offering automation as a service and avoiding upfront equipment costs, the company has lowered the barrier to adoption for growers who might otherwise resist change. That could accelerate the move away from chemical inputs in a sector long dependent on them. The fact that it’s proving cost-comparable to traditional spraying means it may not take government intervention or subsidies to push adoption forward.
For the robotics industry, TRIC’s success adds weight to the idea that task-specific, autonomous machines, especially those built around a practical service model, can find real traction in farming. This is a notable development in a space where many ag-tech ventures remain trapped in trial stages or small-scale pilots. If other crops can be treated as effectively, and if energy issues are resolved, UV-C robotics may offer a compelling template for reducing agrochemical reliance more widely.
UK farmers, especially those under pressure from changing pesticide rules and tighter sustainability requirements, may see clear potential in this approach. For example, British growers facing EU-derived regulations on maximum residue levels and soil health could benefit from a model that allows frequent treatment without chemical application or delayed re-entry. There could also be scope for adaptation to local crops such as soft fruits, leafy greens, or high-value organics, particularly where manual spraying is still dominant or increasingly expensive due to labour shortages.
Also, for UK businesses involved in food supply chains, TRIC’s methods are likely to be promising. For example, as major retailers and buyers place more emphasis on sustainability, traceability, and reduced chemical use, upstream suppliers using robotic UV-C solutions may gain competitive advantage. The same applies to UK-based ag-tech firms exploring adjacent fields. The window is open for others to localise or licence similar models in the UK and Europe, or to partner with growers on collaborative trials.
However, any rollout here would need to take into account different field conditions, crop types, and infrastructure. Unlike the flat, uniform rows of California strawberry farms, many British farms are smaller, more varied in layout, and less mechanised. That may limit near-term deployment without further design iterations.
It’s also worth watching how regulators may respond. For example, UV-C is already used in food processing and healthcare, but applying it in open-field environments could raise fresh questions about environmental exposure, crop labelling, and treatment records. Clear data on safety, efficacy, and operational standards will be essential to building trust.
For now, TRIC’s model stands out as an example of how robotics, when applied thoughtfully and at the right point in the production chain, can genuinely support more sustainable agriculture. The bigger test will come as more farms take it on, and as others begin to compete on similar ground.
