Weeding is a critical but labour-intensive operation for farmers holding small and marginal farms. A major portion of crop loss and reduced productivity occurs because weeds compete with crops for sunlight, nutrients, and water during the early growth stages. Most farmers still depend on manual weeding, which is time-consuming, physically demanding, and often delayed due to limited labour availability or the high cost of hired labour. Mechanical weeding and herbicides are alternatives. However, existing mechanical weeders are often unaffordable or unsuitable for small, fragmented landholdings. Herbicides provide quick and effective weed control with minimal labour, but pose risks to human and animal safety, and contribute to the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds.
Therefore, the need of the project is to explore context-appropriate, affordable, and user-friendly weeding interventions that improve efficiency and reduce drudgery for smallholder farmers.
