NEWGREEN reports methane-reduction effects of its paddy-weed-control robot, Aigamo Robot, at COP17

prtimes.jp reported on Nov. 2, 2026, that NEWGREEN presented the methane-reduction effects of its paddy-weed-control robot, Aigamo Robot, and other findings at COP17. We could not verify the information against primary sources, so please refer to the original source for details.

NEWGREEN says rice cultivation accounts for about 42% of Japan’s domestic methane emissions in fiscal 2024. The company’s report could provide a basis for assessing paddy-weed-control equipment as a means of reducing emissions. Because the company confirmed reductions when the robot was used with water-saving irrigation, farmers and government agencies assessing its effectiveness will need measurements under specific cultivation conditions, including water management, rather than evaluating the robot alone.

The report’s central point is that NEWGREEN presented its weed-control robot at an international conference as a technology addressing not only weeds but also methane from rice cultivation and biodiversity in paddy fields. Rather than announcing a new robot, the company appears to have reframed existing functions and trial results in terms of both food production and environmental impact. The company says more than 4,000 units have been deployed cumulatively. That suggests it is not presenting the equipment as a research-stage device alone, but does not mean its environmental effects will be consistent across all fields where it is used. The evidence presented needs to be considered by metric: 53 fields in Japan showed a trend toward lower emissions; use with water-saving irrigation showed a statistically significant reduction; and on Iriomote Island, the number of species and individual organisms increased by about 40%. These are different types of results. The presentation did not specify the methane-reduction rate or the conditions for each comparison, so the findings cannot be combined into a single quantitative effect or applied to all paddy fields. In particular, the results with AWD show that water management, in combination with the robot, is part of what is being evaluated, not just the robot’s standalone effect. The technology is described as combining solar-powered autonomous operation, weed control through water agitation, and reduced methane production through the supply of oxygen to the soil. Waves in the water are also said to help curb damage from golden apple snails, making the design address weed control, emissions reduction and biodiversity conservation in a single operation. For farmers, this suggests that decisions about adoption may hinge not only on reducing labor for weeding but also on how the equipment fits into cultivation systems, including water management and pesticide use. The presentation alone, however, does not provide enough information to assess the cost of adoption, operating rates under different field conditions, the reproducibility of the results or long-term changes in biodiversity. Further assessment will require methane-emission figures and measurement conditions, comparisons by region and water-management method, and information on the operational burden after adoption.

The company reported a trend toward lower methane emissions across 53 fields in Japan, and says rice cultivation accounts for about 42% of domestic methane emissions. This leaves room to assess weed control and emissions reduction together using the same equipment in Japanese paddy fields. Given the company’s claim that more than 4,000 units have been deployed cumulatively, verifying the conditions for domestic use and field-specific effects will be a concrete issue in considering its use in farming.