The recent trend toward restricting herbicide use has produced interest in alternative and integrated weed control strategies that include cultivation. As a result, newly-developed implements are now available to vegetable growers, but the potential uses of these tools for numerous vegetable crops can be confusing. This publication describes some of these tools and their advantages and disadvantages, based on four years of research at Cornell University. They are most efficient when weeds are in the white-thread or cotyledon development stage.
Tines pass above the planted seed.
Harrowing can be repeated postemergence for control of newly germinated weeds, but only when the crop is well-rooted. Cultivation intensity can be modified to minimize crop damage. Guide wheels and tine intensity regulate harrowing depth. Flex-tine implements are useful for a number of crops and row spacings with little or no equipment modifications. Tines that pass over the crop row can be lifted, allowing for aggressive between-row harrowing when the crop is sensitive to cultivation damage.