09/03/2026
Nighttime robots are bringing a new tool to California strawberry fields.
TRIC Robotics, a California-based company, has developed tractor-scale autonomous machines that move through strawberry fields after dark, using UV-C light to help suppress pests and diseases including mites, powdery mildew, botrytis mold, and lygus bugs. The company also uses bug vacuum treatments as part of its system.
The technology grew out of USDA-supported research into UV-C treatment for field-grown strawberries and has now been deployed across more than 1,500 acres of commercial strawberry fields. TRIC operates the machines as a service, meaning growers pay for applications rather than buying the robots.
For many producers, strawberries require careful pest and disease management because the crop is vulnerable to mold, insects, and fungal pressure. UV-C light can damage certain organisms, and operating at night is important because daylight can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment for some pests and pathogens.
The company describes the approach as a way to reduce chemical pesticide use and complement integrated pest management, not necessarily eliminate all crop protection tools. TRIC has reported decreases in pest and disease control costs and improved grower operating income in its own case studies, while TechCrunch and Hortidaily have reported on the company’s field deployments and business model.
For Indigenous communities and conservation-minded growers, developments like this raise important questions about food systems, soil health, water quality, farmworker exposure, and how new technologies fit within long-standing responsibilities to land and future generations.
How do you think tools like UV-C robotics could fit into the future of farming and land stewardship?
Sources: Tricrobotics, TechCrunch, Hortidaily
