Search Results (6)

Addressing the challenges of complex structure, limited modularization capability, and insufficient responsiveness in traditional hydraulically driven inter-plant mechanical weeding equipment, this study designed and developed an electric swing-type opening and closing intra-row weeding control system. The system integrates deep learning technology for accurate identification and localization of cabbage, enabling precise control and dynamic obstacle avoidance for the weeding knives. The system’s performance was comprehensively evaluated through laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that, under conditions of low speed and large plant spacing, the system achieved a weeding accuracy of 96.67%, with a minimum crop injury rate of 0.83%. However, as the operational speed increased, the weeding accuracy decreased while the crop injury rate increased. Two-way ANOVA results indicated that operational speed significantly affected both weeding accuracy and crop injury rate, whereas plant spacing had a significant effect on weeding accuracy but no significant effect on crop injury rate. Field experiment results further confirmed that the system maintained high weeding accuracy and crop protection under varying speed conditions. At a low speed of 0.1 m/s, the weeding accuracy was 96.00%, with a crop injury rate of 1.57%. However, as the speed increased to 0.5 m/s, the weeding accuracy dropped to 81.79%, while the crop injury rate rose to 5.49%. These experimental results verified the system’s adaptability and reliability in complex field environments, providing technical support for the adoption of intelligent mechanical weeding systems. Future research will focus on optimizing control algorithms and feedback mechanisms to enhance the system’s dynamic response capability and adaptability, thereby advancing the development of sustainable agriculture and precision field management. Full article

Although there are existing interplant weed control devices for soybeans, they mostly rely on image recognition and intelligent navigation platforms. Simultaneously, automated weed control devices are not yet fully mature, resulting in issues such as high seedling injury rates and low weeding rates. This paper proposed a reciprocating interplant weed control device for soybeans based on the idea of intermittent reciprocating opening and closing of weeding execution components. The device consists of a laser ranging sensor, servo motor, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), and weeding mechanism. Firstly, this paper explained the overall structure and working principle of the weed control device, and discussed the theoretical analysis and structural design of the critical component, elastic comb teeth. This paper also analyzed the working principle of the elastic comb teeth movement trajectory and seedling avoidance action according to soybean agronomic planting requirements. Then, field experiments were conducted, and the experiment was designed by the quadratic regression general rotation combination experimental method. The number of combs, the speed of the field management robot, and the stabbing depth were taken as the test factors to investigate their effects on the test indexes of weeding rate and seedling injury rate. The experiment utilized a response surface analysis method and designed a three-factor, three-level quadratic regression general rotation combination experimental method. The results demonstrate that the number of comb teeth has the most significant impact on the weeding rate, while the forward speed has the most significant impact on the seedling injury rate. The optimal combination of 29.06 mm stabbing depth, five comb teeth, and a forward speed of 0.31 m/s achieves an optimal operational weeding rate of 98.2% and a seedling injury rate of 1.69%. Under the optimal parameter combination conditions, the machine’s performance can meet the requirements of intra-row weeding operations in soybean fields, and the research results can provide a reference for the design and optimization of mechanical weed control devices for soybean fields. Full article

Existing rice inter-plant weed control devices have difficulty achieving inter-plant weed control in one pass. Due to the complex environment of paddy fields, these devices have a low weed removal rate and high seedling damage rate, making it difficult to ensure high-quality operation. This study innovatively designed a water jet-based rice inter-plant weed control device. Based on the mechanism of water jet erosion of soil, it can erode and excavate the soil layer on which weeds depend, achieving inter-plant weed control in paddy fields. The optimal range of structural parameters of the water jet angle and nozzle opening diameter was analyzed. The results showed that the optimal structural parameters of the device were a jet angle of 31° and a nozzle opening diameter of 4 mm, which can achieve the best operational performance. Based on virtual simulation experiments, single-factor and multi-factor orthogonal rotation combination experiments were carried out with weed removal rate as the test index and different operating speeds and nozzle outlet pressures as the test factors to optimize the water jet-based inter-plant weed control device. The experimental results showed that when the working parameters of the water jet-based inter-plant weed control device were a forward speed of 0.30 m∙s⁻¹ and a nozzle outlet pressure of 1.50 MPa, the weed removal rate was the highest at 92.78%. Field validation experiments showed that the weed removal rate was 90.16% and the seedling damage rate was 1.80% under this operation condition, and the quality of the operation met the requirements of inter-plant weed control technology. This study provides a technical reference for promoting the development of inter-plant weed control technology in paddy fields. Full article

Modern vegetable production systems are often characterized by monoculture fields and the intensive use of tillage and/or synthetic agrochemicals for managing weeds. A growing public interest in more sustainable and eco-friendly production practices has resulted in increased demand for crops to be produced with lower inputs. Field studies were conducted over three field seasons to investigate the use of conservation tillage in concert with an interplanted living mulch and/or cover crop residue for managing weeds in sweet corn as compared with the standard practice of using conventional tillage and pre-emergence residual herbicides. Whole plot treatments included: (1) conventional till, (2) no-till with cover crop residue, (3) living mulch + cover crop residue, and (4) living mulch + winter killed residue. The split-plot factor consisted of herbicide treatments: (1) at-planting application of residual herbicides or (2) no herbicide. The cover crop systems suppressed weeds as well as the standard practice throughout the cropping cycle in all three years. In addition, there was no significant improvement in weed suppression with the application of herbicides within the cover crop treatments. Crop development and yield were similar among treatments in year 2. However, reduced yields were encountered in all cover crop treatments during year 3 relative to the conventional tillage treatment. Full article

Weed control in organic conservative vegetable systems is extremely challenging and the use of legume permanent living mulches (pLM) presents an interesting opportunity. The successful use of pLM is largely determined by the choice of appropriate legumes which are able to combine adequate weed control with a marginal competitive effect on the cash crop(s). However, the availability of legumes for such systems is limited and their characterization based on growth traits can support the selection of suitable legumes for conservation organic vegetable systems. The current study investigated weed control capacity and variability in morphological and phenological traits relevant in inter-plant competition among a range of 11 commercial cultivars of legumes and seven ecotypes of Medicago polymorpha (bur medic). For commercial cultivars, Lotus corniculatus (bird’s-foot trefoil) and Trifolium repens (white clover) showed the best weed control capacity, while Trifolium subterraneum (subterranean clover) and Medicago polymopha had more suitable characteristics for a rapid and complete establishment of the pLM. Overall, legume mulches appear more effective in dicotyledonous than in monocotyledonous weed control. Trifolium subterraneum cv. Antas and T. repens cv. Haifa were identified as the potentially most suitable legumes for use as pLM and their use in mixtures could be a promising solution. In addition, the ecotypes of Medicago polymorpha Manciano and Talamone proved to be well adapted for local environmental conditions and they showed a better weed suppression than the commercial cultivars of Medicago polymorpha. Full article

Weed management in sweet corn can be costly; genetic improvements in sweet corn competitiveness may reduce this expense. Competitive ability can exist as weed suppressive ability (WSA), or crop tolerance (CT). Previous studies in corn have found year of hybrid release, maturity, plant height, leaf angle and leafiness may affect WSA, while hybrid era, maturity, and plant height may affect CT. However, many of these studies were limited to very few genotypes. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of phenomorphological traits on sweet corn competitiveness and the inheritance of these traits. An incomplete half-diallel from seven historic sweet corn inbred lines of varying morphologies was evaluated in a split-block randomized complete block design in three environments. Forage sorghum was interplanted in half of the blocks to act as a model weed. Significant differences among hybrids were generally found for both phenomorphological traits and traits measuring WSA and CT, such as sorghum biomass and yield stability, respectively. Crop plant height was most predictive of WSA and CT. In this set of genotypes, competitive ability may be passed with reasonable fidelity from parent to offspring, suggesting that sweet corn could be bred for competitive ability. Full article