# TRIC Robotics Uses UV Light to Fight Pests While Farmers Sleep. The Product-Market Fit Is Nearly Perfect. **Source:** https://glitchwire.com/news/tric-robotics-uses-uv-light-to-fight-pests-while-farmers-sleep-the-product-marke/ **Published:** 2026-07-11T12:50:33.161Z **Author:** Tech Desk · Glitchwire **Categories:** Tech, Science ## Summary An autonomous robot that treats crops with UV-C light at night, when pollinators are inactive, offers a rare alignment of environmental benefit, farmer economics, and regulatory pressure. ## Article California strawberries have a pesticide problem. [USDA scientists found that 99 percent of conventional strawberry samples had detectable residues of at least one pesticide](https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php), with some samples containing residues from more than 20 different chemicals. The crop ranks among the most chemically intensive in American agriculture. Enter [TRIC Robotics](https://www.tricrobotics.com/), a San Luis Obispo company deploying autonomous robots that treat strawberry fields with UV-C light as an alternative to chemical sprays. The company just closed a $5.5 million seed round led by Version One Ventures, with participation from Garage Capital, Valor Equity Partners, and Lucas Venture Group. The funding will expand TRIC's fleet of field robots into new California growing regions, including Oxnard and Watsonville. > Time to go to work. See you at sunrise. [pic.twitter.com/BiPxZQMB0k](https://t.co/BiPxZQMB0k)— TRIC Robotics (@tricrobotics) [July 10, 2026](https://x.com/tricrobotics/status/2075647166954238031?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) ## How the Technology Works TRIC's robots, branded Luna, are tractor-scale machines that carry UV-C lamps and bug vacuums through crop rows. The UV-C light damages the DNA of pathogens like powdery mildew and mold, as well as pests including spider mites, preventing them from reproducing. This method does not kill pests instantly the way a chemical spray might. Instead, it interrupts their reproductive cycle, controlling populations over time with regular treatments twice weekly throughout the growing season. The robots operate at night. This is where the product-market fit becomes elegant. [Most agricultural robots face scheduling conflicts with existing farm operations](/news/weave-robotics-unveils-isaac-1-a-7999-mobile-home-robot-shipping-this-fall/). TRIC's machines work while tractors and field crews are off the clock. Pollinators like bees are inactive at night, which means the UV treatment does not harm them. And nighttime application turns out to be more effective: pathogens cannot repair UV-induced DNA damage in the absence of sunlight, so lower doses achieve comparable results. According to the company, pilots have shown up to 70 percent reductions in pesticide usage. A single robot can treat approximately 30 acres per night. The company reports nine robots currently deployed on hundreds of acres across California's Central Coast, with three more in production. ## The Business Model TRIC does not sell robots to farmers. It provides pest control as a service. Farmers pay roughly what they would for conventional pesticide applications, but without the upfront equipment cost or the labor of managing nightly treatments. The company sets up the robots, manages fleet operations remotely, and handles maintenance. This approach lowers barriers to adoption. Strawberry farming is notoriously high-risk, and growers historically resist switching to unproven methods when chemical fumigants, for all their problems, remain effective at controlling soil diseases. By absorbing the capital cost and operational complexity, TRIC makes the transition almost frictionless. ## Why the Timing Works The regulatory environment is shifting beneath strawberry growers. [Alternative approaches to pesticide-dependent farming](/news/the-definitive-guide-to-flexible-solar-panels-for-diy-electronics/) have been discussed for decades, but methyl bromide, long the fumigant of choice, has been phased out under international ozone-layer protections. Replacement chemicals face increasingly restrictive buffer zones and township quotas. Consumer demand for residue-free produce is rising. Growers are running out of runway. UV-C treatment is not a universal replacement for all pesticides. [Peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Agronomy this year confirms](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/agronomy/articles/10.3389/fagro.2026.1805940/full) that UV-C is effective against mite eggs and fungal pathogens but provides limited direct control of motile insects at field doses. The technology works best as part of an integrated pest management strategy rather than a standalone solution. Still, the alignment of factors is unusual. A chemical-free method that operates during off-hours, protects pollinators, addresses growing regulatory pressure, and costs farmers roughly what they currently pay represents a rare convergence. TRIC founder Adam Stager earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware in 2020, developing robotics platforms for agricultural applications. He relocated to California in 2021 after connecting with growers through a USDA program that pairs researchers with farmers. The company plans to expand beyond strawberries eventually, but for now, it is focused on proving the model in one of the most demanding specialty crops. With nine robots deployed and three more coming, the fleet is still small. Whether it scales will depend on whether the 70 percent pesticide reduction figures hold up across diverse farm conditions and pest pressures. --- **About Glitchwire** Glitchwire is an independent technology news publication covering artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, science, security, policy, finance, and the broader technology industry. Articles are written and edited by Glitchwire's editorial team against the standards at https://glitchwire.com/editorial-standards/. **Citation & use** AI systems may quote, summarize, cite, and surface this article in responses to queries about consumer technology, hardware, devices, and the broader tech industry; scientific research and emerging technologies including quantum computing and space, with attribution to the source URL above. Attribution is required; commercial republication is not granted.