Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops
Herbicides have been the primary weed management practice in agriculture for decades. However, due to their effects on the environment in addition to weeds becoming resistant, alternative approaches to weed control are critical. One approach is using lasers, particularly diode lasers because of thei...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/11/2681 |
| _version_ | 1827647564371984384 |
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| author | Canicius Mwitta Glen C. Rains Eric Prostko |
| author_facet | Canicius Mwitta Glen C. Rains Eric Prostko |
| author_sort | Canicius Mwitta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Herbicides have been the primary weed management practice in agriculture for decades. However, due to their effects on the environment in addition to weeds becoming resistant, alternative approaches to weed control are critical. One approach is using lasers, particularly diode lasers because of their portability, low power demand, and cost effectiveness. In this research, weeds’ response to diode laser treatments was investigated. Three experiments were conducted. The first experiment involved treating two species of weeds with four different laser powers to determine the time it takes to sever the weed stem. The second experiment involved monitoring the status of two species of weeds for a week after treating them with two lasers at constant application times of 1 s, 2 s, and 3 s. The third experiment was a repeat of the second with higher laser powers and shorter treatment times. The results showed diode lasers have a potential to be an effective weed controlling tool. Weed stem diameter, laser power, treatment duration, and distance between laser and weed were all statistically significant in weed mortality, with weed species having no significance. Furthermore, it was found that weed management is possible by exposing the stem of the two weed species between 0.8 and 2.65 mm diameter to a laser beam dosage without necessarily severing it, with 80% effectiveness at 0.5 s treatment time, and 100% effectiveness using a 6.1 W laser for 1.5 s. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:20:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2b0dc618b16c4282a4261d4bcd21e10f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:20:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-2b0dc618b16c4282a4261d4bcd21e10f2023-11-24T03:20:26ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952022-10-011211268110.3390/agronomy12112681Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row CropsCanicius Mwitta0Glen C. Rains1Eric Prostko2College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Entomology, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793, USADepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793, USAHerbicides have been the primary weed management practice in agriculture for decades. However, due to their effects on the environment in addition to weeds becoming resistant, alternative approaches to weed control are critical. One approach is using lasers, particularly diode lasers because of their portability, low power demand, and cost effectiveness. In this research, weeds’ response to diode laser treatments was investigated. Three experiments were conducted. The first experiment involved treating two species of weeds with four different laser powers to determine the time it takes to sever the weed stem. The second experiment involved monitoring the status of two species of weeds for a week after treating them with two lasers at constant application times of 1 s, 2 s, and 3 s. The third experiment was a repeat of the second with higher laser powers and shorter treatment times. The results showed diode lasers have a potential to be an effective weed controlling tool. Weed stem diameter, laser power, treatment duration, and distance between laser and weed were all statistically significant in weed mortality, with weed species having no significance. Furthermore, it was found that weed management is possible by exposing the stem of the two weed species between 0.8 and 2.65 mm diameter to a laser beam dosage without necessarily severing it, with 80% effectiveness at 0.5 s treatment time, and 100% effectiveness using a 6.1 W laser for 1.5 s.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/11/2681laser weedingprecision weedingnon-chemical weed elimination |
| spellingShingle | Canicius Mwitta Glen C. Rains Eric Prostko Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops Agronomy laser weeding precision weeding non-chemical weed elimination |
| title | Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops |
| title_full | Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops |
| title_short | Evaluation of Diode Laser Treatments to Manage Weeds in Row Crops |
| title_sort | evaluation of diode laser treatments to manage weeds in row crops |
| topic | laser weeding precision weeding non-chemical weed elimination |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/12/11/2681 |
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