Automation: The Future of Weed Control in Cropping Systems [Paperback]

Technology is rapidly advancing in all areas of society, including agriculture. In both conventional and organic systems, there is a need to apply technology beyond our current approach to improve the efficiency and economics of management. Weeds, in particular, have been part of cropping systems for centuries often being ranked as the number one production cost. Now, public demand for a sustainably grown product has created economic incentives for producers to improve their practices, yet the development of advanced weed control tools beyond biotech has lagged behind. An opportunity has been created for engineers and weed scientists to pool their knowledge and work together to fill the gap in managing weeds in crops. Never before has there been such pressure to produce more with less in order to sustain our economies and environments. This book is the first to provide a radically new approach to weed management that could change cropping systems both now and in the future.This book presents a radically new approach to weed management that could change cropping systems. It covers fundamental principles on weed biology and engineering principles along with economics and market readiness associated with automated weed control.

Forward; Simon Blackmore
Preface; Stephen L. Young
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Scope of the Problem  Rising Costs and Demand for Environmental
Safety for Weed Control; Stephen L. Young, Francis J. Pierce, and Pete Nowak
Part I Agricultural Production Systems
Current State of Organic and Conventional Cropping Systems; Alec F. McErlich and Rick A. Boydston
Part II Principles and Merging of Engineering and Weed Science
Engineering Advancements; John K. Schueller
Plant Morphology and the Critical Period of Weed Control; J. AnlÃÀ