Inter-row cultivators

Inter-row cultivations and harvesting of root crops can be carried out more efficiently. 

Weed control will depend on species present and soil conditions. Up to three treatments may be required overall with a harrow comb between November and April. Wild oats and docks will need hand roguing. If the crop is drilled on wide rows then the weeds can be controlled using an inter-row cultivator. 

Where overall application has not been carried out, steerage hoeing (in the early stages of plant establishment) will be necessary, perhaps twice, to assist in weed control. Further hoeing, after the beet has reached the 5-7-leaf stage, shoifld be undertaken, but only as much as is necessary. Weeds have to be kept in check, but any inter-row cultivation does mean a loss of moisture. It is another point in favour of overall herbicide application. 

Peas do not compete well with weeds and efficient weed control is essential to avoid yield loss. Pereimial weeds should be dealt with before planting and thistles, oilseed rape and groundkeeper potatoes can be a particular problem. Nettles and thistles can interfere with hand picking and, in machine-harvested crops, weeds can lead to crop rejection from the processor. Inter-row cultivations may be effective when the peas are between the second and fifth node growth stage. 

Estabhshed perermial weeds shoitld be controlled prior to transplanting or drilling. With the hmited availability of herbicides, weed control programmes usitally use an approved herbicide followed by inter-row cultivations. Oil seed rape volunteers and potato groimdkeepers can cause a problem in some crops. 

For inter-row cultivation, or if the crop is to be lifted, the plants are spaced (or rough-singled) at 20-22 cm apart with row widths of 50-75 cm. Aplarrt population of 60 000/ha is acceptable, although, if the roots are rather large and dry matter content is low, they may not keep well. Both swedes and trrmips can also be broadcast at 3.5-5 kg/ha. 

The stale seedbed technique, using cultivation or a contact herbicide to kill weeds prior to drilling is frequently used. An alternative is a pre-emergence application of metazachlor herbicide. Inter-row cultivations or harrow combing are also carried out by some growers, particularly on organic farms. 

Tillett, N. and Home, M. 2002. Cultivations at hoeing depth. In Welsh, J.P., Tillett, N., Home, M. and King, J.A. (eds) A Review of Knowledge. Inter-Row Hoeing and its Associated Agronomy in Organic Cereal and Pulse Crops. Elm Farm Research Centre, Newbury, pp. 33-50. 

Killing them by cultivation before sowing a spring root crop. Inter-row hoeing of root crops can destroy many armual weeds and some perennials. 

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