Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Weed Control Solutions Explained - Advantages & Dis-Advantages

The recent trend toward restricting herbicide use has produced interest in alternative and integrated weed control strategies that include cultivation. As a result, newly developed implements are now available to vegetable growers from Northern Equipment Solutions, but the potential uses of these tools for numerous vegetable crops can be confusing. This describes some of these tools and their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Flex-tine harrows

Flex-tine harrows are used broadcast, both over and between the crop rows. They are most efficient when weeds are in the white-thread or cotyledon development stage. In direct-seeded

crops, such as snap beans or sweet corn, flex-tine implements are used pre-emergence. Tines pass above the planted seed. Harrowing can be repeated post-emergence for control of newly

germinated weeds, but only when the crop is wellrooted.  Cultivation intensity can be modified to minimize crop damage. Guide wheels and tine intensity regulate harrowing depth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advantages

  • • Tools are available in large widths (up to 40') and are operated at high speeds when

used pre-emergence.

  • • Flex-tine implements are useful for a number of crops and row spacings with little or no equipment modifications.
  • • Tines that pass over the crop row can be lifted, allowing for aggressive between-row harrowing when the crop is sensitive to cultivation damage.
  • • Pre-emergence harrowing breaks crusted soils and may increase crop emergence

rates.

 

Disadvantages

  • • Cultivation timing is critical; weeds with four or more leaves and emerged grasses at any stage are rarely controlled. Therefore, early season flex-tine harrowing should be integrated with a more aggressive cultivator or with post-emergence herbicides for control of escaped or newly germinated weeds.
  • • Research in transplanted broccoli, snap beans, and sweet corn has shown that flex-tine harrows can reduce crop stand and yield when used before the crop is wellrooted.

 

The Steketee Finger Weeder

The finger weeder is designed specifically for in-row weed control. The tool has pairs

of ground-driven rotating fingers: two pairs in the front push soil and uprooted weeds away from the crop row; while the third pair pushes soil back into the row, covering weeds that were missed by the other fingers. The weeder is most effective when fingers pass very close to the crop row; therefore, precise cultivation and slow driving speeds are important. The finger weeder is most effective on small-acreage, high-value crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advantages

  • • The weeder offers excellent in-row weed control.
  • • The finger weeder is a lightweight tool and can be mid-mounted on a small tractor.

Disadvantages

  • • The weeder must be used when weeds are small; therefore, timing is critical.
  • • Between-row control is poor. Finger weeders should be used in combination with an inter-row cultivator.
  • • Slow, precise cultivation is necessary to minimize crop damage.

 

Steketee Torsion Weeder

The torsion weeder is mounted on an existinginter-row cultivator for improved in-row weed

control. This simple tool has spring-loaded steel rods on each side of the crop row that undercut small weeds. The width of the uncultivated strip is easily adjusted for each crop and  development stage.

 

Advantages

  • • The torsion weeder offers excellent in-row weed control.
  • • The simple design minimizes potential cultivator repairs.
  • • The torsion weeder is an economical addition to an existing cultivator.

Disadvantages

  • • Careful, accurate cultivation is important.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        Steketee Fully-Automatic Intra-Row Weeder

 

Northern Equipment Solutions Provides Leading Weed Control Solutions From Industry Leader Steketee - Both mechanical and chemical solutions.  visit www.northernequipment.ca for more information

Views: 5166

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Tariffs, Tension, and Trade: -- Why Grains Are Outpacing Stocks

Strong exports in corn have traded with resilience.

Farmers Weigh In on 2025 Leaders Debate

Users on Agriville.com saw Poilievre as the debate's strongest performer, criticized Carney’s focus on Trump, questioned media bias, and called for greater attention to Western Canadian concerns.

What’s the Value of Understanding Disease Prevalence in Your Herd?

A robust vaccination protocol at the sow and finisher levels greatly contributed to a low prevalence of Lawsonia intracellularis (Li), according to the results of a recent study led by Hannah Walker, a student in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University. She participated in the Swine Veterinary Internship Program last summer and conducted a Li surveillance study with her host farm Country View Family Farms and sponsor Pharmgate Animal Health. She also developed a sampling method. “Li is the organism that causes the disease known as ileitis or proliferative enteropathy,” she said during the 2025 American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting. “This is an endemic disease across many systems and can be a contributor to poor growth and poor feed efficiency, thus affecting a producer’s bottom line.” She presented the results of her study in a poster competition at AASV titled, “Developing a Lawsonia intracellularis surveillance program to define p

Back to Basics: Feeder Management

At the most basic level, it is often said that pigs need three things to grow: good food, good water and good air. The swine industry spends a great deal of input resources and effort on producing feedstuffs, precisely formulating diets based on stage of production and available ingredients, and processing and transporting those finalized diets to the correct pigs at the correct time. In fact, research by Iowa State University shows 60% to 70% of the total cost to raise a weaned pig to market weight is attributed to feed costs, highlighting the importance of feed in the overall productivity equation. A 2015 study by National Pork Board showed an estimated 70% of the energy needed to produce a market weight pig was used for production and transportation of feed. Many efforts are focused on reducing feed costs via custom formulations, additives and optimized transportation, but management of the feed after it arrives in the finishing barn can also have an impact on feed efficiency and

Protect Our Legacy Through Transparency and Advocacy

As the fifth generation on our Ohio family farm – paving the way for the sixth and seventh generations – I can attest to how much our business has changed over the years. Across the industry, we have embraced advancements and science-based best practices that have helped us produce safe, high-quality pork in ways that are better for the animals we care for, as well as for our people and the planet. I’m proud of how we raise pigs today. However, increased activism has forced us to play defense. I firmly believe we are on the right side of these issues, so I’ve always strived to meet them head-on. In fact, I have welcomed thousands of visitors to my farm, including policymakers and nonfarming audiences, to provide a firsthand view of the realities of pork production. As a result, we’ve successfully changed misperceptions about how our animals are cared for, how our land is utilized, and how modern farms operate. As president of the National Pork Producers Council, I am bringing that sa

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service