Hoeing robot for sugar beet and row crops
Sugar beet herbicides are disappearing one by one, and hoeing is becoming the basis of weed control again. But you still have to be available at the right stage. TOOGO hoes and drills with your own tools, guided to ±2 cm, and lasts the whole day on battery.
The context
Fewer chemical options, more hoeing.
In France, sugar beet covers 397,400 ha for the 2025-2026 campaign, with 23,000 growers and 19 sugar factories.1 And it is a crop whose herbicide toolbox is shrinking: products based on triflusulfuron-methyl are banned in France, triallate has not been sold since March 2024, and phenmedipham is under threat.2
Hoeing is the most proven answer. According to the ITB (the French sugar beet technical institute), an inter-row hoe, a tine weeder or a rotary hoe cut the herbicide TFI by 40 to 50%; combined with band spraying on the row, the reduction reaches 50 to 66%.3 But mechanical tools are aggressive before the 4-leaf stage, and after hoeing you need two to three days without rain.4 The windows are short: you need a machine that is available at the right time.
397,400 ha
of sugar beet in France, 2025-2026 campaign
−40 to −50%
herbicide TFI with a mechanical weeding tool (ITB)
2 to 3 cm
RTK accuracy to hoe as close to the row as possible (Arvalis)
Guidance
RTK and side-shift, included.
To hoe as close to the row as possible, you need 2 to 3 cm accuracy: that means RTK guidance.4 In France, equipping a tractor costs at least €10,000, plus €5,000 to €10,000 to guide the implement, plus a subscription of a few hundred euros a year. A camera guidance system for an inter-row hoe costs €15,000 to €25,000.5
On TOOGO, RTK (±2 cm, 2 GNSS receivers and 3 inertial measurement units) and GPS side-shift of the central frame come as standard, with no subscription. The frame shifts sideways to keep the tool on the row. The camera, which follows the drilled row directly, is available as an option.
TOOGO's guidance
- Positioning
- RTK ±2 cm
- Receivers
- 2 GNSS, 3 inertial measurement units
- Tool correction
- GPS side-shift, standard
- Camera
- Optional
- RTK subscription
- None
The season with TOOGO
From drilling to the last hoeing pass.
-
01
Straight drilling
Precision seed drill on the Category 2 three-point hitch. Straight, recorded rows that every following hoeing pass will line up on.
-
02
First passes
Tine weeder or rotary hoe at the right time, because the robot is already on site and charged.
-
03
Hoeing
Inter-row hoe in float mode, as close to the row as possible thanks to RTK and the side-shifting frame. Consistent depth with the tool in the centre.
-
04
Monitoring
Progress, time and battery live in SIZ'App. An operator supervises the machine while it works.
Your tools
Your tractor's seed drill fits on TOOGO.
No range of proprietary tools to buy: TOOGO has the same interfaces as a mid-power tractor.
- Category 2 three-point hitch, 1,600 kg, automatic hooks, float mode
- Drawbar pull of 18.5 kN
- Hydraulics: Bosch Rexroth Load-Sensing, 2 DA + 1 SA, 50 l/min
- PTO 540 rpm, up to 18 kW
- Electrical outlet 96 V and 24 V
Track width adjustable from 1.50 m to 2.20 m to match your row spacing. We check together that your inter-row hoe and seed drill are compatible before the demo.
The market
Robots in field crops
Field crops are still not very robotised: around fifteen robots were working in them in France in 2023.6 In sugar beet, the most studied robot is the FarmDroid FD20, a solar-powered robot that sows and weeds. A study by the ARTB and the ITB published in 2026 credits it with −34% TFI and −27% working time, for an output of 0.21 ha/h and a price of €75,000 to €92,000.7
At the other end of the range, high-power autonomous tractors such as the AgXeed AgBot target heavy tillage. TOOGO sits between the two: a versatile electric tool carrier that hoes and drills with the farm's own tools.
| Manufacturer | Machine | Principle |
|---|---|---|
| FarmDroid (Denmark) | FD20 | Solar-powered sowing and weeding robot, notably for sugar beet |
| Farming Revolution (Germany) | Farming GT | Electric mechanical weeding using image recognition |
| AgXeed (Netherlands) | AgBot | High-power diesel-electric autonomous tractor |
| Ecorobotix (Switzerland) | ARA | Plant-by-plant precision sprayer, tractor-mounted |
| SIZA Robotics (France) | TOOGO 2.0 | Electric tool carrier with adjustable track width for your inter-row hoes and seed drills |
Public information from manufacturers and institutes, September 2026. Not an exhaustive list; the brands mentioned belong to their respective owners. See also our market overview.
How accurate is it for hoeing sugar beet?
TOOGO positions itself to ±2 cm with RTK, and the GPS side-shift of the central frame keeps re-centring the tool. As an option, camera guidance follows the drilled row directly.
Do I have to pay for an RTK subscription?
No. RTK guidance is included in the purchase price, with no annual subscription.
What tool width can I hitch up?
It depends on the weight (1,600 kg on the hitch), the power required and the track width chosen (1.50 m to 2.20 m). We check your inter-row hoe or seed drill before the demo.
Does TOOGO work at night?
RTK guidance works day and night. For now, however, an operator must supervise the machine while it works; the unsupervised mode is being certified.
How long does TOOGO work per charge?
Up to 12 h depending on the tool and conditions, for example hoeing or drilling at 4 km/h on an average 8% slope. Fast charging takes it from 0 to 90% in 2 h.
Sources
- CGB, « La CGB en quelques chiffres », accessed September 2026 (in French). Link
- Le Betteravier français, « Adapter le désherbage en 2025 », 10/03/2025 (in French). Link
- ITB, « Quel matériel de désherbage mécanique choisir ? », 12/04/2019 (in French). Link
- Arvalis, « Maïs : réduire l'utilisation d'herbicides grâce au binage », 11/05/2023 (in French). Link
- Terre-net, « Binage : quel système de guidage de précision choisir ? », 01/07/2022 (in French). Link
- La France Agricole, « Après les stabulations, les robots s'attaquent aux champs », 2023 (in French). Link
- Le Betteravier français, « Robot FarmDroid : quelle place en betterave conventionnelle ? », 16/03/2026 (in French). Link
See TOOGO hoeing on your farm.
A demo on your farm, with your own inter-row hoe.