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<p>Mechanical weeding provides a sustainable alternative to herbicides in rice cultivation, particularly for smallholder farmers who use walking tractors. This study developed a low-cost roller-type weeder with a sensor-based system for real-time monitoring of downforce. The device was retrofitted onto a walking tractor with narrow rubber wheels, and each roller unit was fitted with strain-gauged coil springs connected to an ESP32 controller and an LCD. Field experiments were conducted in a transplanted Pathum Thani 1 rice field at Kasetsart University, Thailand, using a 2 × 3 factorial design with two travel speeds (0.34 and 0.67&#xa0;m&#xa0;s⁻<sup>1</sup>) and three ballast-induced settings (0, 265, and 343N) at 10 and 24&#xa0;days after transplanting (DAT). Downforce per unit was recorded in real-time and analyzed alongside weeding efficiency (WE) and plant damage (PD) using two-way ANOVA (n = 36). The results showed that higher downforce significantly increased WE (<i>p</i> = 0.049 and 0.031), reaching up to 90% at DAT10 and 74% at DAT24, while PD remained modest and statistically non-significant at DAT24. Travel speed had no significant effect on WE or PD. These results demonstrate that real-time downforce monitoring, integrated with a low-cost roller-type weeder, can provide smallholder farmers with an effective non-chemical weed control solution, thereby reducing herbicide reliance and supporting sustainable rice production.</p>

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A low-cost sensor-based roller weeder to support non-chemical weed control in smallholder rice systems

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月12日

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  • Padiwarada Anantasiri,
  • Prathuang Usaborisut,
  • Watcharachan Sukcharoenvipharat,
  • Chaiya Jantra,
  • Prasertsak Pukdeewong,
  • Wanrat Abdullakasim

摘要

Mechanical weeding provides a sustainable alternative to herbicides in rice cultivation, particularly for smallholder farmers who use walking tractors. This study developed a low-cost roller-type weeder with a sensor-based system for real-time monitoring of downforce. The device was retrofitted onto a walking tractor with narrow rubber wheels, and each roller unit was fitted with strain-gauged coil springs connected to an ESP32 controller and an LCD. Field experiments were conducted in a transplanted Pathum Thani 1 rice field at Kasetsart University, Thailand, using a 2 × 3 factorial design with two travel speeds (0.34 and 0.67 m s⁻1) and three ballast-induced settings (0, 265, and 343N) at 10 and 24 days after transplanting (DAT). Downforce per unit was recorded in real-time and analyzed alongside weeding efficiency (WE) and plant damage (PD) using two-way ANOVA (n = 36). The results showed that higher downforce significantly increased WE (p = 0.049 and 0.031), reaching up to 90% at DAT10 and 74% at DAT24, while PD remained modest and statistically non-significant at DAT24. Travel speed had no significant effect on WE or PD. These results demonstrate that real-time downforce monitoring, integrated with a low-cost roller-type weeder, can provide smallholder farmers with an effective non-chemical weed control solution, thereby reducing herbicide reliance and supporting sustainable rice production.