Explanation
Laser weeding is considered to have high potential for effective, non-chemical weed control, particularly in high-value or row crops. It offers a promising alternative for reducing herbicide use and manual labour.
Advantages
• High efficiency in weed control, especially within crop rows.
• Reduces the need for manual labour, lowering labour costs in intensive systems.
• Easy to operate once installed and calibrated.
• Significantly reduces or eliminates the use of herbicides, supporting more sustainable practices.
Drawbacks
• No major limitations reported in terms of weed control performance.
• No significant socio-economic drawbacks identified.
• Slow working speed—approximately 0.5 hectares per hour.
• High investment cost limits adoption, making it more suitable for large-scale farms.
• Potential (though uncertain) impact on soil organisms due to concentrated heat exposure.
Technical Aspects
Technical readiness
The machinery is commercially available, but it has not yet been introduced in Sweden.
Ease and efficiency of implementation
The system is easy to operate, but for full field coverage, it will likely need to be combined with mechanical weeding between the rows.
Need for training and education
Primarily requires support and guidance from the manufacturer, especially during initial setup and calibration.
Need for investments
Very high. For example, the robot version is priced at approximately 1.1–1.5 million euros, making it a significant capital investment.
Policy Recommendations
At the current stage, demonstration activities are the most relevant action in Sweden to assess the technology’s feasibility. Given the high cost, wider adoption is currently limited, though alternative and potentially more affordable versions may become available soon.