The weed pollution of fields is an increasing problem. Application of herbicides is the predominating method to control weeds, but they become more and more ineffective due to evolution and spread of herbicide resistant weeds.
Alternatives to design new herbicides seem to be more or less depleted which leads to increasing weed infestation worldwide. The situation calls for new integrated weed management approaches to avoid increasing weed problems in the future.
State of the art wheat harvesting separates and collects the grain on the harvester, which chops straw or deposits a straw swath on the field that can be collected some days later. All other small and light parts from the harvested material like husk, short straw parts and most of the weed seeds (together, the chaff) are blown back on the field leading to a wide and homogeneous distribution of the weed seeds.
Sweedhart investigates to prevent to bring viable weed seeds back to the field using:
Sweedhart investigates the proposed concepts in terms of applicability, sustainability, added value and weed reduction. The outcome is a catalogue that summarizes and rates the measures.
The results achieved so far are promising, the basic principles of all concepts have been approved. The pelletizability of chaff and its applicability as fuel can be recommended. Thus, a new biomass source is available. Besides, harvested weed seeds can be removed from the field by the Sweedhart measures.
The final and easy to read recommendations can be found here: https://sweedhart.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Final_recommendations_safe.pdf
All project related publications with more in-depth-information are listed here: https://sweedhart.eu/index.php/publications-and-deliverables/
All other project related information is summarised here: https://sweedhart.eu/
*At the time of the proposal. Please consider this data as an accurate estimate; it may vary during the project’s lifespan.
Total costs include in kind contribution by grant holders and can therefore be higher than the total requested funding.