Abstract
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.
Highlights
Herbicides have replaced the majority of weed control methods since their introduction in the middle of the 20th century [1,2]
This study examined a novel approach to mechanical weeding in sugar beets (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Altissima Group)
High weed control efficacy results can be obtained if the mechanical treatments are applied at the right stage of the weed development and under good weather conditions [28]
Summary
Herbicides have replaced the majority of weed control methods since their introduction in the middle of the 20th century [1,2]. Due to a combination of legal constraints, public demand, herbicide resistance, and environmental concerns, along with the continuously arising interest from organic farming, mechanical weed control has reemerged as an effective alternative to the application of synthetic herbicides [3]. Combining already existing implements for mechanical weeding with a variety of sensor systems has increased their utilization in arable crops. Camera-guided hoes are readily available on the market from different manufacturers. Their guidance concept is based on a camera that tracks the crop rows and sends a signal to a hydraulic cylinder, which shifts the hoe left or right to stay aligned with the crop rows [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
