Cut and Bury: Motorized weeders for rice production

Effortless Weed Control for Bountiful Harvests

Motorized weeders for rice production are innovative machines designed to efficiently clear weeds from rice fields, significantly reducing labor requirements and costs. These compact units, typically propelled by small petrol motors, can clear one hectare of paddy fields in a fraction of the time it would take manually. They are designed to minimize disturbance to rice crops and soil while uprooting, cutting, and burying weeds. The importance of this technology lies in its capacity to enhance weed control, increase rice grain production, and reduce the need for additional irrigation and fertilizer. It offers a practical and cost-effective solution for smallholder farmers, ultimately contributing to improved food security and economic well-being.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Climate adaptability: Moderately adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Problem

Weed Encroachment: Weed encroachment in rice crops, which is a major problem for smallholder farmers, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where manual clearing of paddies is the traditional practice.
Labor-Intensive Clearing: Traditional manual clearing of paddies is labor-intensive and costly, leading to decreased efficiency and high labor requirements.
Weed-Related Grain Yield Loss: Poor management of weed encroachment is estimated to be responsible for grain yield losses of at least 2.2 million tons per year in Sub-Saharan Africa, with significant economic losses.
Environmental Impact: Traditional practices of weed control may have environmental implications due to excessive manual labor and potential herbicide use.

Solution

Motorized Weeding Units: The technology involves the use of small-sized motorized units for weeding in between rice crop lines, significantly speeding up the weeding process and reducing labor requirements compared to manual clearing of paddies.
Efficiency and Cost Savings: The use of motorized weeding units offers low capital costs, high efficacy, and reduces the labor and cost requirements compared to traditional manual methods.
Weed Control and Grain Quality: Mechanized weeding enhances weed control, increases rice grain production, improves grain quality, and reduces the need for additional inputs such as fertilizer and irrigation.
Environmental Benefits: The technology offers environmental benefits by reducing the labor and herbicide application, promoting efficient weed control, and improving overall crop management.

Key points to design your project

The adoption of Motorized Weeders for rice production (cut and bury) offers a promising solution to enhance agricultural efficiency and reduce labor-intensive tasks. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 2, 5, and 13, this technology facilitates increased productivity, potential relief from labor burdens, and promotes sustainable land management practices.

To integrate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and requirements:

Informing rice farmers and agricultural service providers benefits of motorized weeding on labour expenditure and agronomic efficiency,
Importation of weeding units, and/or training of artisans for local fabrication,
Organizing collective purchase or rental of motorized weeders,
Brokerage of small loans for farmers to enable initial investments for adopting mechanized weed control.

Evaluate the size and number of equipment needed for your project, considering the cost of Motorized Weeders for rice production (cut and bury). The price of a hand-operated cut & bury power weeder for rice paddies with a 2-stroke petrol engine that is configured to simultaneously work on two rows is ranging from 550 to 750 USD. Using a two-row power weeder in lowland rice paddies it takes 1 hour to remove weeds from 1000 m².

Factor in expenses such as transportation costs, import duties, and taxes to accurately assess the total investment.

Engage a team of trainers to provide comprehensive training and post-training support for technology usage and maintenance. Develop communication materials, such as flyers, videos, and radio broadcasts, to raise awareness about the technology.

Collaborate with agricultural development institutes and/or fleet managers to implement the technology effectively in your country and associate this technology with Selective herbicides (pre-emergence and post-emergence) technology for better optimization.

Cost: $$$ 550—750 USD

Cut & bury with a 2-stroke petrol engine

ROI: $$$ 80 %

Labour-saving for weeding.

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	Tested	–Not adopted
Madagascar	Tested	Adopted
Mozambique	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	Tested	Adopted
Uganda	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid	–	–
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Using motorized weeders for rice production (cut and bury) involves several key steps:

Proper Rice Spacing: Ensure that rice crops are planted in even rows with a spacing of more than 20 cm. This allows for easy maneuvering of the motorized weeders and prevents damage to the crop.
Assess Weed Encroachment: Depending on the level of weed encroachment and the rate of canopy growth, determine how many times the rotary power units need to be used for effective weed control.
Operate Motorized Weeders: This process can be done by one person, especially on waterlogged fields, but for larger areas, two or more workers may be required.
Integrated Pest Management: Consider the use of common herbicides, pesticides, and biological control measures alongside motorized weeding units to create integrated crop protection strategies that enhance yield potentials.
Collective Purchase and Sharing: To make this technology accessible to low-income rice-growing communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, encourage collective purchase and shared use of motorized weeders. Private agricultural service contractors can also be engaged to scale the technology.