Steel In The Field: A Farmer’s Guide to Weed Management Tools (1997)

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15 points·jqm··4 comments

Maybe we don't need as many "roundup ready" crops? Before the blanket use of herbicides there was cultivation. Some farmers are rediscovering it.

Using mechanical weed reduction is roundabout ten times more energy and time intensive. The fields have to be processed several times and if done with heavy machinery the soil will be compacted at a depth of roundabout 3-6 feet leading to drainage problems.

The compacting effect is already subject of research. Reducing tyre pressure is the counter mean of today, but the problem still persist.

So yes, roundup can be replaced or reduced, but there are no simple solutions.

Yes it is more work. 10 times the work seems high though.

Keep in mind the cost of producing and transporting and selling herbicide when considering total "energy consumption". Not to mention in some cases removing it from the water table later.

Driving a spray tank also compacts the soil. But you do probably more trips when cultivating over spraying. Drainage problems depending on soil type.

You are right on one thing though... there are no simple solution. Appreciate the comment.

I've actually dreamed about really lightweight possibly robotic cultivator. There really isn't a reason to pull a multi-ton tractor over the soil when you are burning or just scraping an inch or two down. For a heavy disc or plow yes... you need the horsepower and thus the weight (and fuel) but it seems a cultivator could be a lot lighter. I also dreamed about building a pedal powered seeder/cultivator on a bicycle frame because I wanted a small farm and couldn't afford a tractor.

I particularly used to dream while driving a tractor when I was young. Talk about boring.... and you have to pay attention so as not to swerve into the crop row:)

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