GESTHERB

Who is the project aimed at?

Farmers, agricultural technicians, cooperatives, agri-food companies, agricultural advisory centres and policymakers responsible for sustainable management who seek to optimise weed control in arable crops such as cereals..

Project objective

To develop a digital decision-support tool that helps farmers determine the optimal time to implement weed control measures, thereby improving the efficiency of weed management operations, reducing production losses and minimising environmental impact.

Project description

A digital monitoring and support system for weed management in cultivated fields. The system aims to provide accurate information on when weeds emerge and indicate the optimal time to apply control measures for maximum effectiveness.

The tool will take the form of an application for mobile devices and computers, initially focusing on the most problematic weeds in cereal crops, such as ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) and corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas). It will subsequently be validated under real field conditions and expanded to include other summer species such as Echinochloa crus-galli and Digitaria sanguinalis.

The system will use daily meteorological data (soil temperature and precipitation) and proven algorithms to predict weed emergence. The aim is to improve the effectiveness of conventional treatments, whether chemical or mechanical, while reducing both costs and the use of resources such as water and plant protection products.

The project will be developed in three phases:

1. Application design and programming.

2. System validation in commercial fields.

3. Dissemination and knowledge transfer through training sessions, workshops and the Ruralcat platform.

Funded by the Rural Development Programme of Catalonia 2014–2022