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Targeted weed control tools offer yield boost and herbicide reduction, UW study finds

A University of Wisconsin researcher sees technology including targeting sprayers and laser weeders as the next revolution in agriculture.

Jed Colquhoun tells Brownfield the key is reducing reliance on individual tools. “Like using herbicides several times during the season and integrating new technologies like lasers, we actually can see a very significant yield and crop quality increase.  That will help pay for the tool really quickly.”

Colquhoun says specialty crop growers have been desperate for new tools to combat resistant weeds, and technology that identifies the weed and only sprays or shoots a laser at the weed has been used alongside traditional tools in carrots and onions.  “Often times, we’ll combine a pre-emergent residual herbicide with a see & spray-type sprayer to control early-emerging weeds that escaped that residual control, and then we follow that up with a laser weeder to be able to clean out any remaining weeds.”

Colquhoun says this technology is expensive now, but like the early cellular phones, advancements will happen quickly, and prices will come down, making the new technology more cost-effective.  “These tools are going to continue to evolve.  They’re going to become larger, wider, and faster to cover more ground.  When that happens, we’re going to see broader applicability across several different cropping systems.”

Colquhoun spoke to Brownfield during a recent University of Wisconsin field day highlighting the targeted weeding systems.

AUDIO: Dr. Jed Colquhoun discusses targeted weed spraying systems and lasers such as John Deere’s See & Spray and Carbon Robotics laser weeder with Brownfield’s Larry Lee.