Both are not widely used at this juncture, at least not on Western Canadian farms, although that might well change.
Both ideas, inter-row cultivation and cover crops seem best-suited to organic farm systems. They do harken back to an earlier time in agriculture when the answer to the appearance of a weed was not the immediate application of a crop protection product.
Of course, huge steps in the development of such products, and the ability to do tank mixes of approved combinations, afford producers today a rather reliable way to deal with the appearance of weeds whether a single type or a salad of several appearing to steal moisture and nutrients from a crop.
While science has shown the use of crop protection products to be safe when used as prescribed on the label, there is concern being shown from the public. Whether it is a growing concern in terms of the number of people, or merely the squeaky wheel syndrome of people getting attention for a cause via the myriad of social media platforms that exist today is not always clear.
What is clear, though, is that the concern is out there, and that tends to turn politicians’ heads.
It is politicians that often impact farmers most when they enact legislation that affects how they operate. It is a sure bet moving forward, farmers are going to see greater restrictions when it comes to the use of crop protection products.
Glyphosate is clearly under scrutiny given the recent court decisions regarding compensation stateside, and the choice of at least two Prairie oat processors to move away from oats where the product has been applied.
There have been notable headlines decrying neonicotinoid pesticides and their effect on bees, a key plant-pollinator. The range of herbicides has faced restrictions and bans in various jurisdictions.
It would be folly if agriculture did not anticipate further product bans and restrictions moving forward, whether those are supported by sound science, or are largely paranoia notwithstanding.
So options will be needed to deal with weeds because they certainly are not going away.
That is where older concepts; cover crops, companion crops, cultivation come back into the mix. Of course, those techniques do need to be adapted to the current continuous crop systems most producers employ. At least they are alternative technologies with a foundation to build on in a world where fewer crop protection products may be available to producers to use.
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Disclaimer: opinions expressed are those of the writer.