Technology enables reduction in pesticide use

With environmental protection as the over-arching objective, an EU project has compiled methods to address weeds on a single platform to assist all farmers in reducing their use of chemical pesticides. This involves both mechanical methods, such as cameras and precision agriculture, as well as natural methods, such as crop combination.

Access to alternative methods of combating weeds is also available to Greek farmers, given that the new Common Agricultural Policy aims to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and focus on environmental protection. An EU project has gathered these alternative methods in a digital repository and made them available to farmers. The task of coordinating the project, as well as the development of the repository, has been undertaken by the Agricultural University of Athens. The negative impact of chemical pesticides is a major problem for the agricultural sector, with wide-ranging ramifications for the environment, natural resources and human health. Concurrently, the situation is compounded by the unwillingness to adopt new methods, due to their complexity as well as the time and costs they entail.

The project aims to provide a solution to this issue by providing access to information regarding all available non-chemical methods of addressing weeds, with specific data and benefits of implementation.

These solutions encompass direct and indirect methods of weed control. Direct methods involve the use of mechanical techniques, such as camera-enabled mechanical weed control, precision spraying and spraying drones, while indirect methods involve crop combination, crop rotation, false seedbeds, etc.

Spraying drones

Spraying drones, in particular, are an innovative agricultural tool thanks to their effectiveness and precision. One of their main advantages is their ability to accurately aim at specific areas of farmland, utilising GPS technology and sensors that map fields and avoid obstacles while independently covering areas in need of intervention. This enables farmers to apply pesticides, weed killers or fertiliser only as necessary, thus reducing the use of chemicals and mitigating the associated environmental impacts. Another advantage spraying drones provide is their ability to cover large expanses rapidly and effectively – up to 1.5 hectares per hour on average, depending on the substance dosage, breadth of spray, speed and height. Spraying drones can also adapt to local morphology, making them ideal for mountainous farmland with steep gradients and further reducing the potential for accidents or “injuries”. Such activities will play a decisive role in the future of agriculture and the adoption of alternative methods of weed control.

Digital repository

The above practices are included in a digital repository which aims to be the ultimate weed control manual, covering the various needs of researchers, farmers, agricultural professionals and all those interested in effective weed control.