May 2019 - 15

MSUE VEGETABLE NOTES
Mechanical cultivation boosted; interns sought
By Dan Brainard
Michigan State University
At Michigan State University
(MSU), we have been working
with growers and manufacturers
to evaluate various mechanical
cultivation tools over the last several
years.
Now, thanks to a new grant
from the USDA-OREI Program (in
collaboration with Eric Gallandt at
the University of Maine) we will be
expanding our work in this area.
Although high-tech robotic
weeders have received a lot of press
lately - and may ultimately roam
vegetable fields in the Midwest
- we feel that there are currently
many lower-cost options that can
accomplish similar weed control. We
also believe that improvements in
the design of these tools and greater
information regarding their optimal
use will improve their performance
for growers.
Below are a few notes on some of
these tools and practices that we are
exploring in our new project
In-row management. Our primary
focus is on managing weeds that
emerge close to the crop, in the inrow
zone where crops are planted.
Managing weeds between crop rows
is comparatively easy, since tools
like sweeps and spyders can be run
aggressively with minimal fear of
crop damage. In contrast, removing
weeds in-row requires planning and
precision. On the planning side, it
is important that crops are planted
straight and that they are managed
to create a size difference between
the crop and emerging weeds. For
precision, parallel linkages or floating
arms are important to provide precise
depth control, and a steering system
is needed to avoid clipping the crop.
Once these basics are in place, there
are several options including finger
weeders, torsion weeders, hilling disks
and flextine cultivators that can work
well alone or in combination to kill
weeds in the crop row.
Finger weeders. For mechanical
management of weeds in the crop
row, finger weeders remain our
favorite mechanical cultivation
tool in many situations. Originally
developed by the Buddingh company
in Michigan in the 1950s, newer
versions are inexpensive, easily
adjustable, and relatively forgiving.
When calibrated appropriately, they
can successfully uproot or bury
small weeds without damaging
established crops. In addition, they
can do so at much higher speeds
than sophisticated robotic weeders.
This higher working speed is critical
for allowing efficient cultivation
of larger areas during the narrow
windows of opportunity typical in
rainfed production areas. Although
and growers and sharing it broadly.
We know we can learn a lot from
grower experience, and we believe
that by building a network of growers,
manufacturers and university research
we can make progress in improving
mechanical weed control.
To build these networks, we have
Torsion weeders are one tool for mechanical in-row weed management.
Photo: Dean Peterson
fingers can't be run as fast as " blind "
cultivation tools like flextine weeders
or rotary hoes, they can kill weeds
over a wider range of weed sizes,
with less damage to the crop.
Tool " stacking. " Just as herbicides
work best when several products are
combined, cultivation tools often
work better when " stacked. " For
example, finger weeders can better
penetrate the soil when near-row tools
such as side knives or spyders are run
in front of them. Similarly, following
a finger weeder, the addition of tools
that can dislodge soil from the roots
of uprooted weeds can improve
efficacy. For example, in experiments
in both Maine and Michigan, we have
found that combining finger weeders
with flextine cultivators or rakes can
greatly increase the percentage of
weeds that are killed. In other cases,
we have found that fingers combined
with hilling disks work best.
Cultivation-resistant crops?
Herbicide resistant crops have
dramatically changed the way
weeds are managed in field crops.
Can a similar concept be applied to
improve mechanical cultivation in
vegetable crops? In other words, are
some cultivars of vegetables better
able to tolerate the forces applied
by cultivation tools than others?
In studies conducted by graduate
students Sam Hitchcock Tilton and
Marisa Benzle at MSU, we have begun
to identify such cultivation resistant
varieties (and their associated traits)
in both carrots and winter squash,
and we believe this approach may
help improve grower success with
mechanical cultivation.
Internship program: How to get
involved. Research expenditures on
mechanical cultivation have paled
in comparison to that on herbicides.
This is due in part to the fact that
herbicides have provided a low-cost
effective method for managing weeds
for decades. An unfortunate side
effect is that much of the knowledge
that existed when mechanical
cultivation was the dominant method
of weed management has been lost
or forgotten. To help address this
problem, we are conducting research
in collaboration with manufacturers
developed an internship program
with funds to support 14 on-farm
interns per year over the next four
seasons on a range of vegetable farm
scales. These interns will receive
training in tool operation and data
collection and oversee on-farm
testing of tools in combination with
other weed management practices to
address a number of key questions.
What combinations of stacked tools
work best in specific crops? How
can tools be efficiently calibrated to
optimize performance at different
crop and weed growth stages? Do the
best combinations of tools vary with
soil type or moisture level? How do
complementary preventive strategies
like stale seed bedding and cover
cropping impact tool performance?
For more information on our work,
or to learn more about internship
opportunities, contact us at brainar9@
msu.edu. VGN
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VGN | MAY 2019 | 15
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May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2019
