Potential of Eco-Weeding with High-Power Laser Adoption from the Farmers’ Perspective

Beata Michaliszyn-Gabryś, Joachim Bronder, Wanda Jarosz and Janusz Krupanek ()
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Beata Michaliszyn-Gabryś: Institute for Ecology of Industrialized Areas, Kossutha 6 St., PL 40-844 Katowice, Poland
Joachim Bronder: Institute for Ecology of Industrialized Areas, Kossutha 6 St., PL 40-844 Katowice, Poland
Wanda Jarosz: Institute for Ecology of Industrialized Areas, Kossutha 6 St., PL 40-844 Katowice, Poland
Janusz Krupanek: Institute for Ecology of Industrialized Areas, Kossutha 6 St., PL 40-844 Katowice, Poland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-26

Abstract: Agriculture and rural regions in Europe face a number of economic, social, and environmental challenges. Rural areas are active players in the EU’s green transition. Weeding is one of the most important factors in agricultural production. New weeding techniques are being developed to enhance sustainability. Among them, laser-based weeding seems to be a promising alternative to the use of chemicals. The WeLASER technique is a novel technique for weed control. Its successful implementation depends on many factors related to the innovation itself, policy context, farming conditions, and users’ attitudes. A survey was carried out to provide insight into the attitudes towards the innovative (laser) weed control tool (autonomous robot). The CATI method was selected for the surveying of farmers’ opinions and carried out in three countries: Denmark, Spain, and Poland. Statistical methods were applied to analyze the results. This study provided knowledge on how farmers see the barriers and opportunities related to implementing the device in practice. Positive attitudes of farmers were observed but with high expectations related to the quality of the technique and the systemic conditions of its implementation.

Keywords: laser; weeding technique; autonomous robot; sustainable agriculture; CATI survey; farmers’ perspective; crosstabs; Pearson’s chi-square statistic; Cramer’s V coefficient; column proportions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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