Mechanical weed management.

Abstract

This chapter describes the three main techniques of mechanical weed management, i.e. (1) the use of tillage, (2) cutting weeds, and (3) pulling weeds. The economics of mechanical weed management is discussed.

The influence of non-living mulch, mechanical and thermal treatments on weed population and yield of rainfed fresh-market tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

“…These machines control weeds using the false seedbed technique , which consists of stimulating weed seed germination and subsequent weed suppression by tillage. This results in reduced weed seedbanks (Cloutier et al, 2007) and weed density can be reduced by 63-85% (Gunsolus, 1990). The false seedbed technique can be carried out by means of various machines: chain harrows, flex-tine harrows, rotary hoes and the rolling harrow (Cloutier et al, 2007).…”

“…This results in reduced weed seedbanks (Cloutier et al, 2007) and weed density can be reduced by 63-85% (Gunsolus, 1990). The false seedbed technique can be carried out by means of various machines: chain harrows, flex-tine harrows, rotary hoes and the rolling harrow (Cloutier et al, 2007). Our machine was designed, developed and patented at the University of Pisa, Italy, and has been used with several vegetable crops for pre and post-planting weed control (Raffaelli et al, 2010(Raffaelli et al, , 2011.…”

“…Flame weeding is used to control weeds in stale seedbed technique prior to crop emergence or planting (Cloutier et al, 2007;Peruzzi et al, 2007;Raffaelli et al, 2010Raffaelli et al, , 2011. It can also be used after crop emergence in crop rows in heat-tolerant crops (Ascard & Van der Weide, 2011).…”

“…Broadcast cultivators such as chain harrows, flex-tine harrows and rotary hoes control weeds both on and between the crop rows; inter-row cultivators such as discs, brush weeders, rotary cultivators, rolling cultivators, basket weeders and rolling harrows are used between crop rows (Cloutier et al, 2007;. Intra-row tools such as finger and torsion weeders are used to selectively remove weeds from the crop rows (Cloutier et al, 2007). If equipped with fingers and torsion weeders, inter-row machines can also perform the intra-row control of small weeds in many crops and in several growth stages (Van der Weide & Bleeker, 2011).…”

Simulation and Analysis of Low Cost Weeder

“…Majority of Indian farmers use hand-hoe for weeding which requires 40-60 labourers for weeding one hectare of land [3]. The effects of various shapes of blades of bullock-drawn blade harrow on depth of operation, weeding efficiency and crop yield was studied [2] .…”