Weed management using low energy lasers, alone and in combination with low dose photosynthetic electron transport inhibitors

据估计，杂草造成的全球平均产量损失约为13%。然而，在某些作物和某些情况下，损失可能要高得多（据报道，在英国，杂草导致小麦产量损失66%，洋葱产量损失99%）。杂草还造成严重的管理困难，需要额外的栽培，也阻碍收获和污染收获的产品。如果种植系统要提供粮食安全，杂草管理是至关重要的。然而，杂草管理既费时又耗力，而且往往严重依赖于化学控制，这可能导致除草剂抗性的发展和有害的环境影响。一个解决方案是设计和实施杂草管理系统，利用田间检测、杂草测绘和有针对性的杂草管理。该研究项目将开发一种基于激光的目标杂草管理系统。利用低能量激光单独和有针对性的低剂量的光合电子传递抑制剂将开发用于控制阔叶和禾本科杂草。激光将针对杂草的生长点，以破坏这些并抑制幼苗生长，导致杂草竞争减少和随后的幼苗死亡。激光治疗的关键参数（所需的激光功率，带扩散器的功率密度，波长，激光持续时间和热处理）将针对所研究的每种杂草进行优化。优化后的参数将用于田间试验，并与自动杂草检测和激光瞄准系统相结合。基于激光的杂草管理系统对环境无害，能耗低，安全有效。这将使它们成为可持续作物生产系统中非常有价值的组成部分，为英国提供粮食安全，并在全球范围内提供原始形式文件。

Weeds are estimated to cause average yield losses of approximately 13% globally. However, in certain crops and in certain situations losses can be significantly higher (weeds have been reported to cause 66% loss in wheat yield and 99% loss in onion yield in the UK). Weeds also cause significant management difficulties requiring extra cultivations and also hinder harvests and contaminate harvested product. Management of weeds is vital if cropping systems are going to provide food security. However, weed management can be time- and energy- expensive and often relies heavily on chemical controlsthat can lead to development of herbicide resistance and unwanted environmental effects. One solution to this would be to design and implement weed management systems utilising in-field detection, weed mapping and targeted weed management.This research programme will develop a laser-based target weed management system. Use of low energy lasers alone and in the presence of targeted low doses of photosynthetic electron transport inhibitors will be developed for control of broadleaved and grass weeds. Lasers will be targeted at the growing points of weeds in order to disrupt these and inhibitseedling growth leading to reduced weed competition and subsequent seedling death. The key parameters for laser treatment (required laser power, power density with diffusers, wavelength, laser duration and heat of treatment) will be optimised for each weed species being studied. Optimised parameters will then be used in field trials and in association with automated weed detection and laser-targeting systems. Laser-based weed management systems will be environmentally benign, low in energy usage, safe and effective. This will make them a very valuable component of sustainable crop production systems offering food security to the UK and original proforma document worldwide.