6 Weed-Busting Farm Machines You Have To See
More than a dozen equipment manufacturers gathered in Wooster, OH, this past fall to participate in the annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day, hosted by The Land Connection and The Ohio State University (Wooster Campus). The companies totaled a nearly even split between vegetable demonstrations and row crop demonstrations. Scan the photo slideshow below to see six weed control machines designed to make easier the lives of vegetable growers.
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LaserWeeder (Carbon Robotics)
Released in early 2022, the LaserWeeder leverages AI deep learning technology, computer vision, robotics, and lasers to kill up to 99% of weeds while weeding up to 2 acres per hour and eliminating up to 5,000 weeds per minute. Earlier this year manufacturer Carbon Robotics introduced a new capability of the machine — the industry’s first LaserThinning technology, which targets areas where vegetable crops are purposefully overseeded and then thinned for optimal crop spacing, growth, and yield.
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Robocrop InRow Weeder (Garford)
The Robocrop InRow Weeder uses video- image -analysis techniques to locate individual plants and mechanically remove weeds from the inter row and within the crop row between the plants. Developed for use on transplanted crops, such as lettuce, cabbage, and celery, the machine can be used on most crops that are planted with regular plant and row spacing in which the plant foliage is clearly separated from the next plant. It boasts accuracy an 8-millimeter (mm) distance from the plant stem, so there is not a huge advantage to get any closer, as the crop will be out-competing the weed pressure closer than 8 mm. Forward speeds of up to six plant spacings per second are possible.
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Duo Precision Hoeing Machine (Terrateck, KULT/Kress)
When towed behind a tractor, the hoeing machine is designed in terms of efficiency, productivity, and precision for mechanical weeding operations in delicately sowed crops, such as carrots, beetroot, chicory, and turnips. Mounted on a parallelogram frame with two depth control wheels, two furrow openers, and two Lelievre blades, the DUO parallelogram is for hoeing at a depth of less than 3 centimeters under good conditions.
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Weekend Warrior Heavy Duty Rotary Tiller (Maschio)
The new Weekend Warrior line is designed for intensive applications with compact tractors. The side gear transmission, heavy-duty gearbox, and bearings make this model suitable for heavy use. Operators can easily manage the working depth by setting adjustable skids in the quick-set system. The tiller is also available in reverse configuration; the reverse blades rotation improves the incorporation of residues and stones.
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Steerable Cultivator (Thiessen)
From the comfort of an adjustable seat position, the new Steerable Cultivator aims to add precision to a grower's three-point hitch tractor while increasing productivity and limiting crop damage. The machine’s unique design allows easy transition between implements, such as the Tilmor finger weeders shown here, onto one base frame.
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520Y Cultivating Tractor (Tilmor)
The 520Y Cultivating Tractor can be adapted to a multitude of crops and cultural practices. The machine allows repeatable, predictable, profitable, and scalable organic and sustainable practices, allowing growers to reduce manual labor and costly downtime. The tractors come standard with a mechanical transmission, the ability to attach two toolbars with a quick-latch design, adjustable tire spacing, two toolboxes, USB, 2-inch receivers, and the ability to add work lights, auxiliary power, auxiliary hydraulics, canopy, and suspension seat.
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LaserWeeder (Carbon Robotics)
Robocrop InRow Weeder (Garford)
Duo Precision Hoeing Machine (Terrateck, KULT/Kress)
Weekend Warrior Heavy Duty Rotary Tiller (Maschio)
Steerable Cultivator (Thiessen)
520Y Cultivating Tractor (Tilmor)
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Thomas Skernivitz is Senior Editor, Horticulture Group, at Meister Media Worldwide. See all author stories here.