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Publisher's Foreword
Controlling weeds with reduced reliance on herbicides is one of
the main challenges facing farmers interested in moving toward a
more sustainable agriculture. Some are concerned about the potential
health implications of handling herbicides. Others worry about groundwater
contamination. Still more farmers and ranchers have seen the escalating
costs of bringing new, less environmentally harmful chemicals to
market and have witnessed the development of “super weeds”
that are resistant to commonly used herbicides. Therefore, finding
alternative weed control strategies remains of great practical importance.
In some ways, cultivating for weed control is almost a lost art.
Herbicides seemed to work so well for so long that many farmers
abandoned mechanical means of control. But now, with new implements
and improved versions of the basic rotary hoes, basket weeders and
flame weeders of 50 years ago, we are seeing improved efficiency
and renewed interest in mechanical cultivation.
Farmers are employing many techniques to control weeds, including
careful selection of crops in rotations, using cover crops to compete
with and smother weeds and, of course, mechanical cultivation.
This book will provide you with information about how each implement
works in the field in sustainable weed management systems. It also
rates each tool’s usefulness in certain conditions, what problems
other farmers have identified with that tool and where to obtain
more information.
First published in 1997, this revised 2002 version of Steel in
the Field includes updated tool sources with World Wide Web sites,
updated contact information for our list of experts and current
tool prices. Thanks to SAN’s Jennifer Butler for leading the
revision effort.
You may want to travel to farms or research sites to see these
implements in use. (See the list of experts.)
We hope this book will help reduce the legwork in finding the right
set of implements that works well on your farm.
After you read the book, let us know what you think! Did this
bulletin prompt you to make any changes to your farming operation?
This and
other feedback
is greatly appreciated!
Andy Clark, Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Network
April 2002
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