Techmagri wasn’t the only company showing a mechanical weeding machine. Willow Farm Machinery has started importing kit from French company Carre.

Both its Econet drill and hoeing machine can be fitted with a clever self-seeking camera system which guides the machine automatically along the plant rows with an accuracy of up to 2cm on each side of the row.

Once the camera has picked up one of the rows it controls the line of the hoe itself. The system can be configured to go on both the drill and the hoe and costs in the region of £11,800.