Project description
Advanced agroecological strategies for weed prevention
Weeds pose an economic challenge for crop farmers and contribute to environmental issues due to their reliance on chemical herbicides for management. The EU-funded AGROSUS project aims to address this by identifying suitable tools and agroecological strategies for preventing and managing weeds in various crops within conventional, organic, and mixed farming systems. The project will engage with stakeholders and encompass all biogeographic regions. The goals are to reduce dependency on synthetic herbicides and enhance the biodiversity of agroecosystems. AGROSUS will leverage existing knowledge, current techniques, and advanced detection tools to achieve these objectives. To implement the project, 68 short-term experimental units will be established. Technology transfer and stakeholder training will also be conducted.
Objective
AGROSUS will identify appropriate tools and agroecological strategies (AS) to prevent and manage the occurrence of weeds in relevant crops, in conventional, organic and mixed farming, at the eleven biogeographic regions of the European Union and associated countries (Continental–Mediterranean–Atlantic–Macaronesian–Pannonian–Anatolian–Black-Sea–Boreal–Alpine–Steppic–Artic), while reducing the reliance of synthetic herbicides to the environment and increasing biodiversity of agroecosystems. The consortium integrates a multi-actor approach for farmers’ decision making and for including the different perspectives from stakeholders to decision-makers that regulate and administer policies. In summary, AGROSUS will rely on i) expanded knowledge on problematic weeds on European agriculture, current weeding techniques, and problems encountered by farmers and advisors (around 500 farmers and advisors will be contacted for surveys, workshops and discussion groups), ii) advanced detection tools iii) establishment of cultural, mechanical, physical, biological, and biotechnological AS in 68 short-term experimental units sprayed all over Europe, iv) actions carried out with stakeholders and policy makers to promote the most appropriate initiatives at the field, administration and regulatory levels, and v) technology transfer and training of stakeholders for prevention and management of weeds. The tools and strategies designed will be developed, in collaboration with stakeholders, for the most problematic weeds of the different regions. These strategies will be implemented in the most economically relevant crops at the 11 biogeographic regions, and in conventional, organic and mixed farming systems. As well, the environmental impact, and economic and social costs and benefits of combined AS for weed control will be assessed in the 68 short-term fields and in 15 medium to long-term already in course agroecological fields, both in comparison with classical chemical weed management.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsCoordinator
36310 Vigo Pontevedra
Spain