Maximizing Efficacy and Economics of Mechanical Weed Control in Row Crops Through Forecasts of Weed Emergence

AbstractInterrow cultivation is a selective, in-crop mechanical weed control tool that has the potential to control weeds later in the growing season with less crop damage compared with other in-crop mechanical weed control tools. To our knowledge, no previous research has been conducted on the tolerance of narrow-row crops to interrow cultivation. The objective of this experiment was to determine the tolerance of field pea and lentil to interrow cultivation. Replicated field experiments were conducted in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 2014 and 2015. Weekly cultivation treatments began at the 4-node stage of each crop, continuing for 6 wk. Field pea and lentil yield linearly declined with later crop stages of cultivation. Cultivating multiple times throughout the growing season reduced yield by 15% to 30% in both crops. Minimal yield loss occurred when interrow cultivation was conducted once at early growth stages of field pea and lentil; however, yield loss increased with delayed and more frequent cultivation events.

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Sensor-Based Intrarow Mechanical Weed Control in Sugar Beets with Motorized Finger Weeders

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11081517 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1517

Author(s):

Jannis Machleb ◽

Gerassimos G. Peteinatos ◽

Markus Sökefeld ◽

Roland Gerhards

Keyword(s):

Sugar Beet ◽

Weed Control ◽

Rotational Speed ◽

Travel Speed ◽

Sensor Technology ◽

Sugar Beet Plant ◽

Sugar Beets ◽

Row Crops ◽

Agricultural Robots ◽

Mechanical Weed Control

The need for herbicide usage reduction and the increased interest in mechanical weed control has prompted greater attention to the development of agricultural robots for autonomous weeding in the past years. This also requires the development of suitable mechanical weeding tools. Therefore, we devised a new weeding tool for agricultural robots to perform intrarow mechanical weed control in sugar beets. A conventional finger weeder was modified and equipped with an electric motor. This allowed the rotational movement of the finger weeders independent of the forward travel speed of the tool carrier. The new tool was tested in combination with a bi-spectral camera in a two-year field trial. The camera was used to identify crop plants in the intrarow area. A controller regulated the speed of the motorized finger weeders, realizing two different setups. At the location of a sugar beet plant, the rotational speed was equal to the driving speed of the tractor. Between two sugar beet plants, the rotational speed was either increased by 40% or decreased by 40%. The intrarow weed control efficacy of this new system ranged from 87% to 91% in 2017 and from 91% to 94% in 2018. The sugar beet yields were not adversely affected by the mechanical treatments compared to the conventional herbicide application. The motorized finger weeders present an effective system for selective intrarow mechanical weeding. Certainly, mechanical weeding involves the risk of high weed infestations if the treatments are not applied properly and in a timely manner regardless of whether sensor technology is used or not. However, due to the increasing herbicide resistances and the continuing bans on herbicides, mechanical weeding strategies must be investigated further. The mechanical weeding system of the present study can contribute to the reduction of herbicide use in sugar beets and other wide row crops.

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Mechatronic System for Mechanical Weed Control of the Intra-row Area in Row Crops

KI - Künstliche Intelligenz ◽

10.1007/s13218-013-0265-0 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 379-383 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zoltan Gobor

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Mechatronic System ◽

Row Crops ◽

Mechanical Weed Control

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Establishing white clover (Trifolium repens) as a living mulch: weed control and herbicide tolerance

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2021.45 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-28

Author(s):

Nicholas T. Basinger ◽

Nicholas S. Hill

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

White Clover ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Herbicide Tolerance ◽

Single Application ◽

Weed Species ◽

Living Mulch ◽

Herbicide Resistant ◽

Research And Education ◽

Weed Emergence

Abstract With the increasing focus on herbicide-resistant weeds and the lack of introduction of new modes of action, many producers have turned to annual cover crops as a tool for reducing weed populations. Recent studies have suggested that perennial cover crops such as white clover could be used as living mulch. However, white clover is slow to establish and is susceptible to competition from winter weeds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine clover tolerance and weed control in established stands of white clover to several herbicides. Studies were conducted in the fall and winter of 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 at the J. Phil Campbell Research and Education Center in Watkinsville, GA, and the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville, GA. POST applications of imazethapyr, bentazon, or flumetsulam at low and high rates, or in combination with 2,4-D and 2,4-DB, were applied when clover reached 2 to 3 trifoliate stage. Six weeks after the initial POST application, a sequential application of bentazon and flumetsulam individually, and combinations of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, and flumetsulam were applied over designated plots. Clover biomass was similar across all treatments except where it was reduced by sequential applications of 2,4-D + 2,4-DB + flumetsulam in the 2019 to 2020 season indicating that most treatments were safe for use on establishing living mulch clover. A single application of flumetsulam at the low rate or a single application of 2,4-D + 2,4-DB provided the greatest control of all weed species while minimizing clover injury when compared to the non-treated check. These herbicide options allow for control of problematic winter weeds during clover establishment, maximizing clover biomass and limiting canopy gaps that would allow for summer weed emergence.

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Post-emergence weed control through abrasion with an approved organic fertilizer

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170510000438 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Frank Forcella ◽

Trevor James ◽

Anis Rahman

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Quartz Sand ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Annual Grass ◽

Corn Gluten Meal ◽

Row Crops ◽

Stages Of Growth ◽

Effective Form ◽

Corn Gluten ◽

Fine Quartz

AbstractCorn gluten meal (CGM) is an approved organic fertilizer and pre-emergence herbicide that can be manufactured in the form of grit. This grit was tested for its ability to abrade seedlings of the summer annual weedy grass, Setaria pumila, when plants were in the 1- to 5-leaf stages of growth. CGM was propelled at air pressures of 250–750 kPa at distances of 30–60 cm from the plants. Established seedlings of S. pumila were controlled more effectively when grit was applied at 500 and 750 kPa than at 250 kPa, as well as when the applicator's nozzle was 30 cm from the plants compared to 60 cm distance. Seedling growth and dry weights were greatly reduced by exposures to grit at 60 cm and 500 kPa for 2 s or less, and seedlings were nearly completely destroyed at 30 cm distance and 750 kPa. CGM, a soft grit, was as effective for abrading seedlings as fine quartz sand, a hard grit. CGM had little pre-emergence herbicidal effect on S. pumila. Although regrowth can occur in S. pumila after abrasion by grit, the initial grit-induced stunting is sufficient to allow competing crop plants, like maize, to escape competition and suppress the weed. Consequently, CGM may be an effective form of soft grit for post-emergence abrasion of seedlings of summer annual grass weeds in organic row crops, while simultaneously supplying the crop with fertilizer.

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Economic and Horticultural Evaluation of Chemical and Mechanical Weed Control Strategies for Cowpea

Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science ◽

10.21273/jashs.117.2.255 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 117 (2) ◽

pp. 255-259

Author(s):

Brian A. Kahn ◽

Raymond Joe Schatzer

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Seed Yield ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Farm Income ◽

Control Chemical ◽

Biological Yield ◽

Cowpea Seed ◽

Main Effects ◽

Mechanical Weed Control

The herbicides paraquat, trifluralin, and metolachlor were compared for efficacy of weed control in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] with and without cultivation as a supplemental strategy. Herbicides also were compared against a no cultivation-no herbicide treatment (control) and against cultivation without an herbicide. Cultivation had no significant effect on seed yield, biological yield, or harvest index of cowpea. Paraquat, applied before seeding but after emergence of weeds, was ineffective for weed control and usually did not change cowpea yield from that obtained without an herbicide. Trifluralin and metolachlor more than tripled cowpea seed yield compared with that obtained without an herbicide in 1988, when potential weed pressure was 886 g·m-2 (dry weight). The main effects of trifluralin and metolachlor were not significant for cowpea seed yield in 1989, when potential weed pressure was 319 g·m-2 (dry weight). However, in 1989, these two herbicides still increased cowpea seed yield compared with that of the control and increased net farm income by more than $300/ha compared with the income obtained from the control. Chemical names used 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4' -bipyridlnium salts (paraquat); 2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine (trifluralin); 2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6 -methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-l-methylethyl) acetamide (metolachlor).

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