Lasers as an alternative to chemical-based herbicides in crops

Laser-based weed-control solutions are a promising new alternative to chemical pesticides; exceptionally precise, they enable weed eradication right next to crops, even between plants, without causing harm to the crops themselves. While there has been progress, weeds continue to pose a significant challenge in agricultural practices, causing reductions in crop yield and quality. About 1,800 weed species reduce plant production by approximately 31.5%, leading to economic losses of nearly 32 billion dollars annually. As a result, technology has come to be viewed as a solution which could reduce losses from weeds and bolster crop yields. An EU project has pursued this line of inquiry by conducting in-situ visits to farming operations and examining various weed-control methods apart from chemical-based herbicides.

According to the project, traditional weed-control methods remain demanding, making it increasingly difficult and costly to attract seasonal workers. A significant obstacle is the lack of suitable equipment on the market, leading to continued reliance on manual labour. Conventional weed-control equipment, which relies on soil cultivation (with or without visual guidance), struggles to operate near crops without causing damage. Laser-based pest control is a promising solution to address these limitations with major benefits, such as:

• Elimination of weeds even between the plants without touching them.
• No direct contact with the soil, enabling operation in difficult conditions, such as rocky, wet or dry soils.
• The technology deals directly with weeds, minimally impacting the soil and the environment overall.
• Laser-based applications can also be employed in organic farming.
• The soil is not disturbed, resulting in reduced CO2 emissions from the soil.