Mechanical Weeding in NW Spain for Sustainable Arable Farming

Mechanical weeding is a sustainable, non-chemical weed control strategy gaining traction in Galicia’s small, fragmented, humid arable landscapes. Tools like tine harrows, inter-row cultivators, and camera-guided systems enable effective weed suppression when timed correctly and integrated into crop rotations. Despite high equipment and labour costs, cooperative models, research support, and public initiatives are accelerating adoption. In maize, potato, and cereal systems, mechanical methods achieve over 80% weed control with proper timing and terrain adaptation. Practices such as shallow tillage, ridging, and early harrowing are effective. EU policies like Farm to Fork and initiatives like AGROUS and Demoware 2024 promote innovation and knowledge sharing. Research centres including MBG-CSIC and ECOVA support training and development. Mechanical weeding, especially combined with cover cropping, offers a scalable solution for reducing herbicide use in NW Spain.