As herbicides are withdrawn from the market, resistance builds and growers seek more sustainable weed management strategies, an increasing number of growers are turning to mechanical weed control.

Andy Baggott, UK sales manager at Garford Farm Machinery, explains that the firm’s range of camera-guided hoes were once predominately sold within the organic sector, but now a wider array of farmers are reaping the rewards.

Precision-guided hoes offer many benefits for both soils and crops and can completely eliminate herbicide inputs.

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Not only does this remove the weed, but also promotes crop and root growth by improving soil ventilation and water retention, and encourages tillering.

They also promote microbial activity, therefore mobilising nutrients and N minerals in the soil.

Andy says: “I’m sure a lot of you out there are struggling with chemical resistance, as chemicals are just not working anymore.

“The price has got to a point where they’re no longer affordable and sustainable and you need another option.

“The only real option is mechanical weed control, which basically cuts through the roots of weeds to kill them.

“You also have other benefits such as soil stimulation as the tines of the hoe break up the top inch of soil, which helps the crop come on.

“You get to a point where crops are no longer competing with weeds and it increases output,” he says.

On display at Cereals was Garford’s inter-row 6m tine raiser with section control set up at 250mm row spacings.

The high-speed hoe can reach up to 18km/hour with accuracy of 1cm to the plant location.

All Garford hoes are configured to a modular design, but they can be customised to special requirements, row spacings and work widths.

Also on display at Cereals was the in-row weeder specifically designed to weed in-between vegetable and salad plants.

Both hoes come complete with camera-guided technology that creates images of the foliage ahead of the machine. These are processed by a computer to accurately guide the hoe through the crop.