Ilse A. Rasmussen

Integrating physical and cultural methods of weed control— examples from European research

Abstract Increasing concerns about pesticide use and a steadily increasing conversion to organic farming have been major factors driving research in physical and cultural weed control methods in Europe. This article reviews some of the major results achieved with nonchemical methods and strategies, especially adapted for row crops (e.g., corn, sugar beet, onion, leek, and carrot) and small-grain cereals (e.g., barley and wheat). In row crops, intrarow weeds constitute a major challenge, and research has mainly aimed at replacing laborious hand-weeding with mechanization. A number of investigations have focused on optimizing the use of thermal and mechanical weeding methods against intrarow weeds, such as flaming, harrowing, brush weeding, hoeing, torsion weeding, and finger weeding. And new methods are now under investigation such as robotic weeding for row crops with abundant spacing between individual plants and band-steaming for row crops developing dense crop stands. The strategic use of mechanical weed control methods in small-grain cereals has been another area of considerable interest. Weed harrowing and interrow hoeing provide promising results when they are part of a strategy that also involves cultural methods such as fertilizer placement, seed vigor, seed rate, and competitive varieties. Although research in preventive, cultural, and physical methods have improved weed control in row crops and small-grain cereals, effective long-term weed management in low external input and organic systems can only be achieved by tackling the problem in a wider context, i.e., at the cropping system level. Basic principles of this approach, examples of cover crop and intercropping use for weed suppression, and an application in a 2-yr rotation are presented and discussed. Nomenclature: Barley, Hordeum vulgare L.; carrot, Daucus carota L.; corn, Zea mays L.; leek, Allium porrum L.; onion, Allium cepa L.; sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L.; wheat, Triticum aestivum L.

The use of a Bayesian network in the design of a decision support system for growing malting barley without use of pesticides

The design of a prototype decision support system (DSS) for growing malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) without use of pesticides is described. The system comprises a main module and two sub modules. The main module predicts the yield and some quality parameters, assuming no problems with weeds, fungal diseases, insect pests and harvest/post harvest conditions. The two sub-modules handle, respectively, the effects of fungal diseases and weeds and of mechanical weed control. The DSS is constructed as a Bayesian network and thus incorporates and presents information on uncertainties. The paper describes the principles of a Bayesian network and the principles used to calculate the conditional probabilities required in it. The design of the DSS is presented. An example of the use of the prototype and of the output is shown and it is explained how that information can be used. The benefits and some drawbacks of using a Bayesian network to construct a DSS are discussed.

Organic Agriculture 3.0 is innovation with research

Organic agriculture can and should play an important role in solving future challenges in producing food. The low level of external inputs combined with knowledge on sustainablity minimizes environmental contamination and can help to produce more food for more people without negatively impacting our environment. Organic agriculture not only includes farming as a production practice but it also includes processing, trade and consumption. Nevertheless, Organic agriculture must always evolve to overcome emerging challenges. Science-based knowledge attained through dedicated research is required to strengthen organic food and farming as a means to solve future challenges. In 2010, a global discussion about Organic 3.0 was initiated to address current problems our agri-food systems are facing. Many scientifically and practically proven results are already available to make organic agriculture a strong tool to solve some of these challenges. However, the organic agri-food system has to be developed further to fulfill its potential. The contribution of organic agriculture to help solve current problems linked to food security and environmental quality was discussed during the International Society of Organic Agricultural Research (ISOFAR) Symposium “Organic 3.0 is Innovation with Research”, held September 20–22, 2015, in conjunction with the first ISOFAR International Organic Expo, in Goesan County, Republic of Korea. Some of the world’s most active scientists in organic agriculture attended the symposium. This paper is a result of their discussions and aims to give an overview of research conducted and required to strengthen organic agriculture in its ambitions to overcome agronomic challenges, contribute to food security and protect our common environment.

Ready for the future—renewed Aims and Scope

During the last two decades Organic Agriculture has undergone a remarkable development throughout the world. Today (2018), organic production is done in more than 130 countries. More than 2.7 million farms produce on about 50 million hectares certified organic products with a market value of nearly 100 billion US Dollar. But, organic production is not only a market issue. Various governments consider organic farming as an option, or BPlan B^, to satisfy consumer and public expectations for sustainable food production chains. Particularly in Europe, significant public support is given to further develop Organic Agriculture. This innovative production system is the paradigm for multifunctional agriculture such as climate mitigation and adaptation, clean water, conservation of biodiversity, agro-ecology, animal welfare, healthy soils, income generation for small scale farming and entrepreneurs, attractive landscapes and rural cultures. The principles of Organic Farming—subsumed by the organic agriculture movement under the terms of ecology, health, care and fair—are the lodestar and give guidance for a fruitful development. So far, everything looks fine. But, Organic Agriculture cannot exist in isolation and ignore global food challenges. Forecasts for 2050 and 2100 show the need to produce more food for a growing population in a sustainable way. The United Nations have described the challenges in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Simply spoken: sustainable intensification of farm land use is necessary to produce more food for more people on limited space. Additionally, food processing, storage, trading, and consumption as elements of the food chain have to become more efficient and sustainable. Organic food production has to contribute to solve these challenges and SDGs. To do this, changes are needed in Organic Agriculture as well. These challenges are increasing productivity per hectare, reduced losses throughout the food chain, improved renewable nutrient cycles, higher resource efficiency (nutrients, energy, water, etc.), fair prices for consumers and producers. If Organic Agriculture is considered as a Btool box^, and not only as a certified production pattern for premium markets, it has the option to contribute significantly to the global food challenges, particularly for Org. Agr. (2018) 8:181–183 https://doi.org/10.1007/s13165-018-0226-x