Perennial weeds cause major concern in both integrated and organic cereal production due to risk of yield reductions. Control of perennial weeds is primarily done by intensive tillage in organic farming, whereas conventional farming for decades has relied on herbicides as glyphosate, particularly in reduced tillage systems. Glyphosate can soon be restricted or even banned in EU and Norway.
Project SUSWECO will develop new weeding tools and strategies for control of perennial weeds in cereals without or with minimized use of herbicides or intensive tillage. Novel tillage tools. root cutters, that cause minimal soil disturbance will make it possible to combine use of subsidiary crops and mechanical weed control. We will test if bioherbicides (e.g. pelargonic acid) and a specially adapted harrow can be parts of strategies killing both subsidiary crop and weeds before new crop is established.
Site-specific weed management (SSWM) can significantly reduce environmental loads of uniform chemical and mechanical weed management by applying control measures only at the weed patches in the field. The project will work on machine vision enabling site-specific management of perennial weeds in cereals with subsidiary crops.
We will also assess impact on soil quality and energy consumption of selected strategies. We will communicate with end users and stakeholders during project. New knowledge will be disseminated nationally and internationally.
