Site‐specific weed control technologies

TLDR

Site‑specific weed control technologies use embedded sensors to detect weeds and, considering economic factors, target them to maximize control success, yet challenges such as unreliable weed recognition, limited spraying accuracy, and insufficient economic/environmental data hinder widespread adoption. The study aims to describe the basic components of site‑specific weed control technologies. These components include weed sensing systems, weed management models, and precision weed control implements.

Abstract

Summary Site‐specific weed control technologies are defined as machinery or equipment embedded with technologies that detect weeds growing in a crop and, taking into account predefined factors such as economics, take action to maximise the chances of successfully controlling them. In this study, we describe the basic parts of site‐specific weed control technologies, comprising weed sensing systems, weed management models and precision weed control implements. A review of state‐of‐the‐art technologies shows that several weed sensing systems and precision implements have been developed over the last two decades, although barriers prevent their breakthrough. Most important among these is the lack of a truly robust weed recognition method, owing to mutual shading among plants and limitations in the capacity of highly accurate spraying and weeding apparatus. Another barrier is the lack of knowledge about the economic and environmental potential for increasing the resolution of weed control. The integration of site‐specific information on weed distribution, weed species composition and density and the effect on crop yield, is decisive for successful site‐specific weed management.