Weeds competition is a crucial aspect in organic farming systems dominated by annual crops such as cereals and legumes. Sowing density and plant spatial arrangement play a crucial role in weeds restraining. Organic farmers of hilly areas of the Marche region use traditional seeder in combination with harrow weeder, but when the growing season is too wet weeds cannot be properly controlled, so negatively affecting crop yield.
The seeder prototype, named SEMINBIO®, a prototype devised and patented by the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Cereal and Industrial Crops Research Centre (CREA-CI, Foggia, Italy), and tested on durum wheat, optimises seed distribution in the three axes of space. This ensures a fast soil cover by the crop, a better and rapid uptake of nutrients, and enhanced competitive ability against weeds, which turned into higher productivity of wheat while maintaining grain quality.
Further information
Contact
Carlo Ponzio, Con Marche Bio
Links
- youtube.com: Video "SEMINBIO: innovative sowing system"
- Practice abstract "SEMINBIO®: Innovative seeder for weed control in cereals"