Precision agriculture is about applying solutions that serve to obtain a high yield from the optimization of resources and the development of technologies based on the collection and use of precise data. Precision agriculture, including camera-guided row detection and hydraulic steering, is often used as an alternative because crop damage can be decreased and driving speed can be increased, comparable to herbicide applications. The effects of different approaches, such as uncontrolled (UC), mechanical weed control (MWC), herbicide weed control (HWC), and mechanical + herbicide control (MWC + HWC), on weed density and yield of sugar beet were tested and evaluated in two trials (2021 and 2022) in South Transylvania Depression at the tested intervals BBCH 19 and 31. Weed control efficacy (WCE) depends on the emergence of the weeds and a good timing of weed controls in all the trials and methods, though the highest yield of sugar beet roots was recorded in the treatment MWC + HWC, with an increase up to 12–15% (56.48 t ha⁻¹) yield from HWC (50.22 t ha⁻¹) and a yield increase of more than 35–40% than MWC (42.34 t ha⁻¹). Our trials show that it is possible to increase yield and have fewer chemical applications with the introduction of new precision technologies in agriculture, including sensor-guided mechanical controls.

Effective weed management is crucial in the critical period of sugar beet production, but often lacks sustainability and environmental protection. Recent advancements in sensor-based weed control systems have rendered the latter a realistic prospect, which demands detailed analyses, especially under suboptimal field conditions. The present study analysed six robotic-assisted weed control systems (RAWS) in three experiments on sugar beets in 2024, conducted under dry soil and high weed pressure. The experiments included sensor-based inter-row and intra-row hoeing, spot-and band-spraying and were compared to a broadcast herbicide treatment and an untreated control. Weed control efficacy (WCE) in the intra-and inter-row areas, as well as weed species composition and crop plant damage, were assessed after treatment. The data show that intra-row WCE of two hoeing robots (Farming GT® and Robovator®) equipped with

Precision agriculture including camera-guided row detection and hydraulic steering are often used as an alternative because crop damage can be decreased and driving speed can be increased comparable to herbicide applications.The effects of different approaches as uncontrolled (UC), mechanical weed control (MWC), herbicide weed control (HWC) and mechanical + herbicide control (MWC+HWC) on weed density and yield of sugar beet were tested and evaluated in two trials (2021 and 2022) in South Transylvania at the tested intervals BBCH 19 and 31. Weed control efficacy (WCE) depends on the emergence of the weeds and a good timing of weed controls in all the trials and methods, though the highest yield of sugar beet roots was recorded in the treatment MWC+HWC, with an increase up to 12-15% (56.48 t ha-1) yield from HWC (50.22 t ha-1) and a yield increase of more than 35- 40% than MWC (42.34 t ha-1). Our trials show that is possible to increase yield and have less chemical applications with the introduction of the new precision technologies in agriculture included here the sensor-guided mechanical controls.