Agricultural robots are beginning to help farmers control weeds without using the chemicals that may be associated with health issues.
Weeds are the bane of all farmers. They compete with crops for soil moisture and nutrients and can block out sunlight needed for crop growth, reducing yields. Over the last five decades, chemical eradication has become the method of choice for controlling weeds. It is common for farmers to spray or otherwise apply several weed-killing chemicals to their fields in a single season. Now agricultural robots that remove weeds are becoming more common.
The scientific community has found that exposure to the toxic substances in weed killers can cause disease. In addition to glyphosate’s, the weed-killing chemical paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. Another common farm herbicide, atrazine, can be harmful to reproductive health and is linked to several other health problems.
Despite the naysayers, Kansas farmer Torrey Ball is eagerly awaiting his turn for Greenfield’s robotic fleet. Last year, the company’s robots weeded his sunflower fields. This month they will weed some of his soybean acreage. Ball is a longtime user of many of the leading weed-killing herbicides and knows first hand how expensive and how ineffective some products have become as weeds have developed resistance to the widely used chemicals, particularly glyphosate.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
5 Annoying Things To Clean And 5 Easy Ways To Clean ThemThis post is especially for anyone who can't remember the last time they cleaned their dishwasher.
Read more »
Food safety tips for chicken: Don’t wash it, clean your hands and morePreparing and cooking chicken safely requires a bit of care to avoid cross contamination and foodborne illness.
Read more »
How can we effectively improve and use saline-alkali soil to ensure food security?Soil salinization poses a threat to global agricultural production, food security and sustainable development.
Read more »
One woman's food truck brings free food, hope to the homelessJacqueline Aguilar joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist in February of 2024.
Read more »
New space for LA Regional Food Bank, which has given out 2 billion pounds of foodLos Angeles Regional Food Bank employees worked with more than 21,000 volunteers last year.
Read more »
Currywurst: The star of German street food and a fast-food delicacy at Euro 2024Bite-sized bliss. The currywurst is considered a fast-food delicacy in Germany, and a perfect treat before a game.
Read more »