Processing tomato is the first Italian vegetable crop for harvested area (about 94000 ha) weed control represent one of the most serious problem for tomato producers. A two year “on-farm” open field research on processing tomato weed control was carried out in 2006 and 2007 in a conventional farm in the Serchio Valley (Pisa, Central Italy). The aim of the experiment was to test innovative strategies and operative machines for non-chemical (physical) weed control in order to reduce agrochemical input and improve crop quality. The innovative strategy was compared with the farm traditional technique. The innovative strategy consisted in the application of the stale-seedbed technique (by means of a rolling harrow and a flaming machine in pre-transplanting) and precision hoeing interventions in posttransplanting (with an innovative machine equipped with rigid elements, for inter-row weed control, and elastic tines for selective intra-row weed control). Traditional technique consisted in two chemical pre-transplanting interventions and two post-transplanting PTO powered rotary hoe treatments. Innovative operative machines performances, weed density during the crop cycle, dry weed biomass at harvest and crop fresh yield were recorded. The innovative strategy allowed reaching significantly higher yield values (from 15 to 20%), a good weed control and a relevant increase of gross marketable production with respect to conventional management (from 400 up to 700 € ha-1 of increase as net value of weed management costs) The experiment is still on-going and it will finish in 2008.
Innovative Operative Machines for Physical Weed Control on Processing Tomato in the Serchio Valley (Central Italy)
PERUZZI, ANDREA;RAFFAELLI, MICHELE;FRASCONI, CHRISTIAN;FONTANELLI, MARCO
2008-01-01
Abstract
Processing tomato is the first Italian vegetable crop for harvested area (about 94000 ha) weed control represent one of the most serious problem for tomato producers. A two year “on-farm” open field research on processing tomato weed control was carried out in 2006 and 2007 in a conventional farm in the Serchio Valley (Pisa, Central Italy). The aim of the experiment was to test innovative strategies and operative machines for non-chemical (physical) weed control in order to reduce agrochemical input and improve crop quality. The innovative strategy was compared with the farm traditional technique. The innovative strategy consisted in the application of the stale-seedbed technique (by means of a rolling harrow and a flaming machine in pre-transplanting) and precision hoeing interventions in posttransplanting (with an innovative machine equipped with rigid elements, for inter-row weed control, and elastic tines for selective intra-row weed control). Traditional technique consisted in two chemical pre-transplanting interventions and two post-transplanting PTO powered rotary hoe treatments. Innovative operative machines performances, weed density during the crop cycle, dry weed biomass at harvest and crop fresh yield were recorded. The innovative strategy allowed reaching significantly higher yield values (from 15 to 20%), a good weed control and a relevant increase of gross marketable production with respect to conventional management (from 400 up to 700 € ha-1 of increase as net value of weed management costs) The experiment is still on-going and it will finish in 2008.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
