Evaluation of finger weeder safety and efficacy for intra‐row weed removal in irrigated field crops

Abstract

Increased demand for pesticide‐free food and the development of herbicide‐resistant weed populations have created a need for non‐chemical weed‐control tools. A candidate mechanical tool for controlling weeds in the seeding line (intra‐row zone) is the finger weeder. This study thus aimed to evaluate the safety and weed‐control efficacy of the finger weeder in various irrigated field crops. Eight field trials were conducted in processing tomato, sweet corn, sunflower, cotton, and beetroot over 2 years. The finger weeder treatments were applied as the sole weed‐control method (single or double treatments) and in combination with herbicides. A mini meta‐analysis was used to evaluate the overall effect of the finger weeder treatments on crop stand and yield and on weed control efficacy. Weed density in the control not treated with herbicides nor a finger weeder ranged between 2 and 62 weeds m−2. The finger weeder treatments resulted in a significant reduction in weed density, which ranged between 40% and 90%. The weed density following the double finger weeder treatment was not significantly different from that for the conventional herbicide‐based treatment (p = 0.32) and could therefore be considered as an effective environmentally friendly alternative. Furthermore, a single FW treatment integrated with herbicide application gave better weed control than the conventional herbicide treatment (p = 0.04). This treatment was safe for the crops with no significant stand (p = 0.19) or yield (p = 0.29) reductions compared to commercial treatment. The results of this study demonstrate the promise of the finger weeder as an effective tool within integrated weed management systems for conventional agro‐systems. The tool offers a rational weed‐control solution for sustainable systems under irrigation.

The finger weeder cultivator for intra‐row mechanical weed control: Effects of uprooting force on selected weed species

“…Any management program that use the finger weeder should combine complementary means for well-established and non-sensitive species that escape the application of this tool. This premise aligns with a previous study demonstrating that optimal weed-control results were achieved when the finger weeder was combined with herbicide application (Asaf et al, 2023). It is also in agreement with other studies evaluating nonchemical weed-control tools that demonstrated optimal results when these tools were integrated with other control tools (Harker & O'Donovan, 2013;Melander et al, 2005;Pannacci & Tei, 2014;Perotti et al, 2020).…”

“…Finger weeders are available in various versions, with fingers of different sizes and different degrees of hardness, which can be tailored to particular soil types, crops, and seeding distances (Melander et al, 2015). A previous study showed that repeated application of the finger weeder resulted in adequate weed control result in a wide range of vegetable and field crops, that was not inferior compared to herbicides-based treatments (Asaf et al, 2023).…”

Unraveling the reasons for failure to control Amaranthus albus: insights into herbicide application at different growth stages, temperature effect, and herbicide resistance on a regional scale

“…Recent assessments have explored the pre-emergence application of herbicides like metribuzin 52 and pendimethalin 53 along with the utilization of a finger weeder for mechanical intra-row weed control. 54 We are aware that the results of the current study were acquired under controlled environmental conditions, and it is, therefore, essential to extend the study to evaluate weed management on a field scale, as is currently taking place in fields in the study region.…”

Current and future glyphosate use in European agriculture

“…The manifold possibilities of mechanical weed control including ploughing, harrowing and hoeing require considerable expertise and investment and are more dependent on environmental influences than chemical measures. Implements for the selective removal of weeds between crop rows such as finger weeders must be used in the early growth stages of the weed and are highly effective for weed species with shallow and compact root systems, such as A. sterilis (Asaf et al, 2023). Camera‐steered hoes with a hydraulic side shifting control are widely available for row crops, however, sensor‐based technology for precision mechanical weed control is still in development (Machleb et al, 2020).…”