Automated Weed Control: New Technology to Solve an Old Problem in Vegetable Crops.

Growers of flowers, herbs, and vegetables depend on hand weeding to achieve acceptable weed control because there are few herbicides registered for use in these specialty crops, and it is unlikely this will change soon. Labor shortages have led to higher hand weeding costs that run $150 to $300 per acre; thus, in the face of increasing labor costs vegetable growers have begun to adopt automated robotic weeders. Machine vision technology, together with fast data processors; have made it possible for machines to recognize crop row patterns; allowing for removal of intra-row weeds or thinning of crops to desired stands. Current technology provides the potential for development of effective weed removal devices that are less regulated than herbicides. It seems likely that intelligent technology will rival or exceed the importance of herbicides for specialty crops in future weed management programs and will especially benefit organic crops that are most dependent on hand weeding. Increased public funding for weed removal automation would help train students in the multidisciplinary fields of science, technology, and engineering needed to advance the development of automated robotic weeders. Research is needed to address challenging weed control technologies, first to detect and differentiate weeds from crops, and second to develop physical devices, such as lasers or sand abrasives, to remove weeds. Investment in weed automation technology would be a win-win for everyone as it generates higher paying jobs in the crop protection industry; leads to the use of less risky weed control tactics, and promotes a more sustainable weed control system.