?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Mechanical+weed+control+for+integrated+and+organic+salad+and+brassica+production&rft.subject=Crop+health%2C+quality%2C+protection&rft.subject=+Weed+management&rft.subject=+Vegetables&rft.description=Diminishing+herbicide+options%2C+fear+of+ground+water+contamination+and+customer+pressure+to+minimise+herbicide+use+are+all+pushing+the+industry+away+from+reliance+on+herbicides.++However%2C+product+contamination+concerns%2C+much+of+which+relate+to+weeds%2C+necessitate+high+levels+of+weed+control+and+have+resulted+in+increasing+use+of+unsustainable+hand+weeding.+A+major+constraint+to+continued+growth+of+processed+bagged+salads+is+contaminants.+Major+contaminants+are+weeds+and+weed+seeds%2C+however+other+pest+and+disease+contaminants+are+enhanced+by+poor+weed+control.+The+majority+of+salad+crops+are+hand+weeded+once+and+some+twice+at+a+cost+of+%C3%82%C2%A3400-%C3%82%C2%A31000%2Fha+depending+on+weed+levels.+This+task+is+not+liked+and+leads+to+back+problems.+++Brassica+production+is+also+affected+by+weed+contamination%2C+but+to+a+lesser+extent.++Better+weed+control+will+reduce+these+problems.+It+is+estimated+that+only+5%25+of+brassica+crops+currently+require+hand+weeding%2C+though+that+is+expected+to+rise+after+the+loss+of+herbicides+such+as+Cyanazine+in+2007.++Most+organic+brassica+crops+are+hand+weeded+and+costs+are+typically+lower+at+%C3%82%C2%A3100+-+%C3%82%C2%A3250%2Fha+due+to+wider+plant+spacing+and+a+greater+tolerance+to+weeds.++Typical+brassica+residual+herbicide+costs+are+expensive+-+between+%C3%82%C2%A345+and+%C3%82%C2%A360%2Fha.++More+cost-effective+weed+control+will+have+the+added+commercial+benefit+of+reducing+potential+reliance+on+imports+of+certain+produce+from+outside+the+UK+in+the+future.%0D%0A%0D%0AWeeds+growing+within+crop+rows+continue+to+be+the+major+problem+because+of+a)+gaps+in+the+herbicide+control+of+certain+weed+species+and+b)+the+close+proximity+of+the+weeds+to+the+crop+making+conventional+mechanical+weeding+difficult+without+risking+crop+damage.+SRI%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s+imaging+and+crop+row+tracking+technology+has+been+successfully+applied+to+cultivation+equipment+for+improved+inter-row+mechanical+weed+control.++There+is+an+opportunity+to+develop+an+adaptable%2C+cost-effective+technology+for+mechanically+controlling+weeds%2C+specifically+in-row+weeds%2C+for+a+wide+range+of+brassica+and+salad+crops+that+would+enable+machinery+to+control+in-row+weeds+mechanically.++Such+a+development+would+increase+UK+industry+competitiveness+in+a+way+that+is+sustainable+in+a+low+herbicide+environment.%0D%0AThe+scientific+approach+of+this+Defra+sponsored+Horticulture+LINK+project+will+be+to+develop+a+fast%2C+two+dimensional+mathematical+template+matching+techniques%2C+(exploiting+periodicity+within+the+planting+grid)%2C+which+will+enable+individual+crop+plants+to+be+located+and+can+cope+with+crop+spacing+variability.++Regular+observations+of+plant+position+will+be+passed+to+a+tracking+algorithm+that+can+follow+plant+location+from+a+moving+vehicle.++We+will+need+to+ensure+that+this+works+for+a+typical+range+of+salad+and+brassica+crop+colours%2C+in+particular+red+salad+plants.+A+novel+shallow+cultivation+mechanism+will+also+have+to+be+developed.+This+will+be+need+to+be+synchronised+with+the+plant+tracking+algorithm+and+will+enable+weeds+to+be+removed+from+between+crop+plants+leaving+the+crop+undisturbed.+The+final+phase+of+the+study+will+allow+the+performance+of+the+resulting+experimental+apparatus+to+be+assessed+for+both+physical+accuracy+and+horticultural+value+in+terms+of+reliability%2C+weed+kill+and+any+crop+damage.%0D%0A%0D%0AA+number+of+clear+benefits+can+gained+from+the+project%2C+chiefly+environmental+benefits+resulting+from+reduced+herbicide+use+as+well+as+lower+mechanical+weeding+costs+which+would+increase+potential+for+organic+production.++In+addition%2C+reducing+the+number+of+weeding+operations+through+better+targeting+may+help+minimise+problems+caused+by+frequent+soil+disturbance.+Other+benefits+will+include+improved+plant+location+which+may+further+improve+existing+inter-row+guidance%2C+further+reducing+herbicide+use.+++The+main+output+of+the+project+will+be+an+experimental+prototype+demonstrating+the+technology+developed+and+capable+of+being+taken+forward+for+development+by+the+manufacturing+parties.&rft.type=Project+description&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.identifier=%7BProject%7D+Mechanical+weed+control+for+integrated+and+organic+salad+and+brassica+production.+Runs+2005+-+2007.+Project+Leader(s)%3A+Grundy%2C+Andrea%2C+Warwick+HRI.+More+information+online+at+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww2.warwick.ac.uk%2Ffac%2Fsci%2Fhri2%2Fresearch%2Fweedecologyandmanagement%2Fhl0173lfv%2F+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww2.warwick.ac.uk%2Ffac%2Fsci%2Fhri2%2Fresearch%2Fweedecologyandmanagement%2Fhl0173lfv%2F%3E%3E.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F6764%2F