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The conversion of a ten hectare conventional farmlet in north-west Tasmania to a certified organic intensive vegetable production system over a three year period highlighted weeds as the most challenging management issue. The project objectives were to test and evaluate on a commercial scale, organic production protocols for a range of vegetable crops. Weed management issues were addressed through assessment of weed species present and field evaluation of a range of non-herbicide weeding techniques. Detailed organic weed management protocols are presented for onions (Allium cepa L.), carrots (Daucus carota L.), and broad beans (Vicia faba L.) as examples of nonherbicide weed management in vegetable crops. The fi eld study indicated an increased focus on mechanical weed control methods is essential for organic vegetable cropping if time consuming hand weeding operations are to be minimised or eliminated. Field operator experience in the timing and use of equipment such as fl ame and brush weeders was shown to be an essential requirement for successful weed management.

Item Type:	Non Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	organic, certification, non-herbicide, commercial, vegetables, onions, carrots, broad beans, brush weeder, flame weeder
Research Division:	Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Research Group:	Horticultural production
Research Field:	Horticultural crop growth and development
Objective Division:	Plant Production and Plant Primary Products
Objective Group:	Horticultural crops
Objective Field:	Field grown vegetable crops
UTAS Author:	Gardam, P (Mr Phillip Gardam)
ID Code:	102752
Year Published:	2002
Deposited By:	Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
Deposited On:	2015-09-04
Last Modified:	2015-09-04
Downloads:	0