Machine/equipment that completely removes the unwanted grass with roots from any crop fields

[srkvemula]

I am looking for a machine/equipment that completely removes the unwanted grass including roots from any crop fields which is a major problem in Indian soil. Many farmers are facing this problem in my area and as of now grass was removed by labor as of now. Getting the labor is also a major problem by that time again grass is growing up and damaging the productivity of the crop. Please provide me the details if you know same kind of machine that matches my requirement. I am looking forward for your kind reply.

[Shaggy98]

Why do you want to destroy your soil profile by eliminating all residue and roots.  A good chemical program will kill everything green, and the residue left behind will turn into organic material.

[Nebrfarmr]

In what crop?

[Kay/NC]

Without use of selective herbicides, there will likely always be some need for hand labor, to pull or hoe out competing vegetation like grass and weeds.  The older ones of us remember cultivators that were pulled through fields by tractors or mules, to clear the middles between crop rows, which left just the rows of crop to clear of grass.

[mike se il]

The problem with discussing the "kind of machine that matches my requirement." is you really didn't tell us anything. 1 hectare or 100,000 hectares?  1 row at a time or several meters wide?  Corn or cucumbers? Grapes or green beans?  Oh, and keep in mind while I am tossing out a little metric terminology, I think acres and feet.

Farming in the US is extremely diverse.  Farms vary from a few acres to thousands of acres.  Crops vary from garden vegetables to small grains.  Most US farmers have gone to chemical weed control. The reasons are labor and cost. If I am controlling weeds mechanically I have to have much much more equipment and labor.

What we have learned over the years is mechancal weed control works best if you do it before it looks like you need it.  If you wait until the grass and weeds are a problem it is too late to have any kind of control. They key to mechanical cultivation is prevention.  Here is what you want to see

And if you are not using any chemical weed control this is probably the second time the cultivator has been through the field. Cultivators can be from 1 row wide to whatever size you want.  The widest I have seen are 40 feet wide. Two of mine are 30 feet wide when using them

The cultivator may mount on the front, middle or rear of the tractor, although rear mount is far more popular

I stumbled across this photo which I find interesting but there was no explanation with it

photo from http://jeanzfamilystories.blogspot.com/2012/02/installment-six-mejs-bio-dirty-thirties.html

The cultivator may have rigid shanks and shovels

They may flex (we call them Danish tines) and have various shovels mounted on the tines to stir the soil.  The rigid type above will control larger weeds better than the Danish tine below.  The rigid shank will cut off or dig out the plant, while the more flexible tines tend to bounce off the larger plant and not do any good.

Notice this photo also shows rolling fenders, which allow cultivation of very small or delicate plants.

photo from http://www.farmingwithhorses.com/standard-row-crop-cultivators

Or it may have toothed wheels.  Note they are adjusted to throw soil into the row to cover small weeds.  This is part of the timing of use, doing it before it looks like you need it.

photo from http://ytforums.ytmag.com/ttforum/viewtopic.php?p=4291493&sid=c0dc0b8e6f047691f205600917fdbe42  This is a discussion you may want to read, it may be helpful to you.

or disks

photo from http://www.amacoint.com/en/agriculture/new/tillage/cultivators/harriston/

I've tossed several ideas out and at the same time really haven't told you much.  Tell us more about what you are doing or want to do, and maybe we can offer better advice

[srkvemula]

Thank you for the reply. I am not going to eliminate the residue or roots of main crop.Can you tell what type of chemical are you using for killing the weeds for your different type of crops during as experienced by you over certain years.In my area we use to yield rice,sugarcane,tobaco,chillies,cotton,black gram etc., I would be thankful to you can you able to tell me what type of chemical than can be used to remove weeds around the crop for the above crops.

[srkvemula]

In my area we use to yield rice,sugarcane,tobaco,chillies,cotton,black gram etc.,

[srkvemula]

Thank you for the reply.Using tractors and mules in today's crop may be effective in terms of space available between each.It would be around 15-20cm only.

[srkvemula]

Thank you for the reply. I need a machine that removes complete weed with roots atleast 10 Acres per day.In my area we use to yield rice,sugarcane,tobacco,chilies,cotton,black gram etc., with a column spacing of 15-20cm and row spacing of 30cm respectively.The photos posted by you may not help for the kind of spacing available for my crops in my area.Please provide details of machines that suits for me.

You have discussed about chemicals that can eliminate the weeds.Can you tell what type of chemicals are you using for killing the weeds so far for your different type of crops as experience gained by you , mention all the major problems have you come across by using chemicals. I would be thankful to you can you able to tell me what type of chemical than can be used to remove weeds around the crop for the above crops.

[mike se il]

Your crops and environment are so different from mine I could not make a good herbicide recommendation. That is something you will have to research locally.

Just about all of these cultivators can be adjusted or modified for whatever row width you need, but 30 cm is very close for any mechanical cultivation.  Generally our row width has been as wide as it is to allow mechanical access.

Many years ago rows were about 40 inches apart (just over 100 cm) because horses were used for cultivation and the rows needed to be wide enough they could get between them.  As tractors have come into use and been modified our row width has narrowed.  In corn 30 inch rows (76 cm) is mostly standard, although some are working with narrower.  My understanding is in areas where beets are grown 22 inch rows (56 cm) are more common. I think rows as closely spaced as yours (30 cm = just under 12 inches) are going to be difficult to mechanically cultivate.