NDSU’s Smart Weeder X1 team developed a three-row mechanical weeding system with site-specific weed control (SSWC) capability based on the pre-defined weed prescription map to increase precision of the weeding operation and enhance energy efficiency of the powertrain (vehicle) while reducing soil moisture and soil nutrient losses. The system uses a linear actuator to control sweep/shank based weeding tools. The goal is to reduce soil disturbance, conserve resources, and decrease labor by using pre-defined weed maps for targeted removal.

One of the key challenges for organic farmers is weed control which is the most labor and energy intensive operations in farming. In organic farming, soil cultivation is one of the widely used practices that is applied to the whole field. Despite the efficacy of soil cultivation in weed management, it leads to considerable soil moisture and nutrient losses, and incurs additional costs in tractor fuel, time, and wear on the operational parts of cultivators.