Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo

two farmers with farm equipmentDate: Thursday, September 12, 2019

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location: University of Maine Rogers Research Farm, 914 Bennoch Road (Rt. 16), Old Town, Maine (Directions/Map)

Cost:
Lunch is included, but cannot be guaranteed for those who register after September 5.

  • $20 on or before September 5
  • $30 from September 6 -11
  • $40 on Day of Event

Online Registration Closed

Pre-registration is required. Registration is limited, so register early to assure a spot.
No refunds can be offered for registrations made by check OR after September 5, 2019.

5 CCA credits and 3 pesticide credits will be offered for this program.

The Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo will feature tool demonstrations and research results for both vegetable and grain production. Hand-tools, walk-behind tractors/tool carriers, and tractor-mounted equipment will be on display and demonstrated in the field, and will include equipment from Terrateck® and Johnny’s Selected Seeds, HAK®, Tilmor®, K.U.L.T.-Kress®, Garford®, Treffler® Harrows, and Franklin Robotics.  We invite farmers of all levels of experience and production to participate. The day will include:

  • Research presentations and posters
  • Field demonstrations of tools for small-, mid- and large-scale growers
  • Friendly competition testing your weed knowledge and cultivation skills!
  • Plenty of time to connect with fellow growers, researchers, and industry representatives

The Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo is supported by grants from the USDA-NIFA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and the Northeastern IPM Center.

Agenda

8:30-9:00 a.m.: Registration and Coffee

9:00 -9:15 a.m.: Welcome and Overview — Eric Gallandt, UMaine

Guests: Extension Dean Carter and NSFA Assoc. Dean Hutton

9:15-10:45 a.m.: The Latest in Mechanical Weed Control Research

Researchers from Denmark across the U.S. and will share their results on stacking inter- and intra-row tools, autonomous weeders, and weed seed bank management.

  • Mechanical weed control: Lessons from Europe — Bo Melander, Aarhus University, Denmark
  • Robotic weeders in specialty crops: Perspectives from California — Steve Fennimore, University California Davis
  • Balancing efficacy and selectivity in intra-row mechanical weeding — Dan Brainard, Michigan State University
  • Stacking tools: Pitfalls and opportunities — Bryan Brown, New York State IPM, Cornell University
  • Weed control in vegetables: On-farm trials in the Northeast and Midwest — Peyton Ginakes, UMaine

10:45-11:00 a.m.: Break

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Weed Control Demos for All Scales and Crops

Rotate among four stations where company representatives and researchers will demonstrate tools in a variety of vegetable and field crops, and discuss proper adjustment and use.

  • Station 1: Hand tools for the diversified vegetable farm — Jen Goff, Johnny’s Selected Seeds
    Including the Terrateck Double Wheel Hoe
  • Station 2: Newest stacked tool parallel linkages — Michael Smith, KULT Kress
    Belly-mounted Next Gen units and rear-mounted Duo units
  • Station 3: Steketee weeders — Joseph Sutton, Sutton Ag
    Including finger and brush weeders
  • Station 4: Camera-guided cultivation for field crops — Tom Molloy, UMaine
    Using a robotic side-shift unit and inter-row hoes
  • Station 5: What’s new at Tilmor — Ben Baltzly and Doug Zehr, Tilmor
    Two- and four-wheel tractors, inter- and intra-row precision weeding equipment

12:30-2:00 p.m.: Lunch and Research Poster Session

2:00-2:30 p.m.: Tool Selection and Adjustments — Jean-Paul Courtens, Roxbury Agriculture Institute

Jean-Paul will discuss how he chooses and sets up cultivation tools on his farm in upstate New York.

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Fun and Games

Return to your favorite vendors and learn more about their products and tips. And try your hand at setting up the Terrateck Double Wheel Hoe for the maximum weed efficacy and lowest crop mortality.  Winners will get a prize.

3:30-4:15 p.m. Wrapping It Up — Farmer and Research Panel

Our panel will offer their top tips for effective mechanical weed control and discuss questions from the group.

4:15-4:30 p.m.: Cultivation Competition Winners, Evaluations, Raffle and Adjourn

Poster Presentations

  • Early growth characteristics and anchorage force of selected carrot varieties
    Rebecca Champagne, Ph.D. Student, UMaine
  • Stacking hand tools: Efficacy and selectivity in common bean and beet
    Rebecca Champagne, Ph.D. Student, UMaine
  • Early growth, development and anchorage force of wild radish compared to several Brassica surrogate weeds
    Johnny Sanchez, M.S. Student, UMaine
  • Spring tine harrows: Evaluating efficacy and selectivity in bush beans
    Johnny Sanchez, M.S. Student, UMaine
  • Developing an artificial weed for mechanical weed control research
    Brad Smith, Undergraduate Student, UMaine
  • Effect of seed depth on early growth, anchorage force and tolerance to mechanical weed control
    Jordan Parks, Undergraduate Student, UMaine
  • TBD
    Daniel Priddy, M.S. Student at Michigan State University
  • Root architecture, anchorage force and tolerance to mechanical weed control
    Ruthie Sexton, M.S. Student, UMaine
  • Addressing current and future weed pressure on organic grain farms with camera-guided cultivation and selective cutting
    Ellen Mallory, Professor and Extension Specialist, UMaine

Directions/Map

The Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo is supported by grants from the USDA-NIFA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and the Northeastern IPM Center.