Abstract
Grain and silage corn (Zea mays L.) are grown in several countries throughout the world. Herbicides are currently the main method of weed control used worldwide. In Quebec, for example, one out of every three agricultural pesticides sold is a herbicide used for corn (Leroux et al. 1990). However, the intensive use of herbicides in corn results in serious environmental problems. According to several studies, herbicides used in corn have made their way into streams, rivers and drinking water in a number of countries (Ayotte and Larue 1990; Giroux and Morin 1992; Economic Commission for Europe 1993). Furthermore, owing to the appearance of a growing number of weed biotypes resistant to traditional chemical herbicides, farmers have been forced to resort to new, more expensive treatments. The increase in consumer demand for food free of chemical residues, and the desire of agricultural organizations to promote sustainable agriculture highlight the need to develop alternatives to chemical weed control. Thus, we propose the use of thermal weed control (or flame weeding) alone or in combination with traditional mechanical methods (rotary hoe, sweep cultivator).
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Leroux, G.D., Douhéret, J., Lanouette, M. (2001). Flame Weeding in Corn. In: Vincent, C., Panneton, B., Fleurat-Lessard, F. (eds) Physical Control Methods in Plant Protection. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04584-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04584-8_3
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