A leading international soil scientist has cautioned farmers against total reliance on chemicals to control weeds while embracing minimum and zero tillage regimes.
Dr Dirk Kurstjens is at the forefront in researching new generation precision weeders which cultivate with little soil disturbance.
Dr Kurstjens, a research fellow at Wageningen University in The Netherlands, will be a key speaker at the 16th world conference of the International Soil Tillage Research Organisation (ISTRO) at The University of QueenslandÍs St Lucia campus in Brisbane from July 13 to 18.
He will be a major drawcard at a special field day for farmers to meet and interact with soil scientists at the UniversityÍs Gatton campus on Wednesday, July 16.
ISTRO president and UQ Gatton lecturer in farm mechanisation Dr Jeff Tullberg said he expected Dr KurstjensÍ cutting-edge research would spark a lot of interest.
ñMinimum and zero tillage farming is particularly suited to our erosion-prone environment in Queensland,î Dr Tullberg said.
Dr Kurstjens said international researchers were taking a new approach to crop cultivation to complement the use of chemicals for weed control.
He said farmers would need a suite of strategies in future, including mechanical, chemical and biological.
Reliance on chemicals risked weeds becoming resistant and also raised environmental concerns with the use of large amounts of herbicide.
ñWe are looking at a new way of thinking where equipment is designed to target weed species,î Dr Kurstjens said.
Precision guidance equipment will allow finger weeders to work a band of soil just a few centimetres wide, extremely close to the crop.
ñThere is still a lot of work to be done, but these machines will be light, low-cost and energy-efficient,î Dr Kurstjens said.
The challenge was to achieve the conflicting goals of maintaining soil cover and suppressing weeds.
Dr Kurstjens said thermal weed control was making big technical advances in Europe using both superheated water and gas powered flame guns.
ñThermal weed treatment is booming, particularly in urban areas where there are strict controls on the use of chemicals. The technology is now trickling down to the agricultural sector,î Dr Kurstjens said.
Media: For mor information on the conference, contact Dr Jeff Tullberg (telephone 54601 354 or 0417 134 372) or Anthony Smith (telephone 0409 265 587).
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