TIME recognized six agricultural technologies in plant genetics, robotics, pollinator management, circular agriculture, and nutrient recycling. Winners include BioLumic's xTraits platform, the Thorvald vineyard robot from Saga Robotics, Beewise's Robi, Burro's Grande 44 agricultural robot, the 2nd Nature AgWaste Portal, and VunaNexus's Aurin, a fertilizer derived from recycled human urine.
TIME says rankings are created objectively by editors and application fees neither influence inclusion nor placement. The editorial team collected nominations from staff worldwide and online submissions, evaluating candidates by originality, effectiveness, ambition, and impact.
UV light protects crops without fungicide
The Thorvald robot from Saga Robotics uses an approach the company calls "Farming with Light." The robot operates autonomously at night, traveling through vineyards and strawberry fields and exposing plants to UV-C light against powdery mildew, sharply reducing the need for conventional fungicides. By 2026, Thorvald treated an estimated 30 percent of British strawberry production on raised beds and protected around 2,500 acres of California vineyards. The platform also captures image data growers use for harvest forecasting. Salih Hodzhov of WB Chambers Farms calls accurate harvest forecasts one of the berries industry's biggest challenges and reports substantial improvements after two years with Saga.
Seeds programmed with UV light
BioLumic takes a different approach. Its xTraits platform uses UV light to control plant gene expression without genetically modifying the plant's DNA. Light-activated traits were tested in over 6,000 trial plots. In untreated hybrid lines from activated parent lines, average yield gains exceeded 20 percent; in activated inbred lines, gains averaged 6.1 bushels per acre or 8.2 percent.
Robots, waste, and urine-derived fertilizer
Burro's Grande 44, described by TIME as a versatile agricultural robot, transports picked fruit to collection points. CEO Charlie Andersen says the robot boosts harvest worker productivity by 30 percent.
Shadow side: payment disputes at Beewise
While Beewise received recognition for its beekeeping technology, the Aspen Daily News reported on September 27, 2026, payment delays in the company's pollination brokerage. Shannon Wallace of Wallace Apiaries in Oklahoma sold equipment to cover costs after receiving only 55 percent of amounts owed. CEO Saar Safra attributed delays to almond growers who failed to pay; the company sued at least three growers within three months for roughly 520,000 dollars total. Friends Farm did not respond to calls; other defendants were unreachable. The payment problems concern the pollination brokerage business.