{"id":14355,"date":"2025-07-08T10:24:19","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T10:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/portal.greekfarms.gov.gr\/?p=14355"},"modified":"2025-09-12T18:51:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T18:51:33","slug":"lasers-as-an-alternative-to-chemical-based-herbicides-in-crops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/portal.greekfarms.gov.gr\/en\/lasers-as-an-alternative-to-chemical-based-herbicides-in-crops\/","title":{"rendered":"Lasers as an alternative to chemical-based herbicides in crops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n