This project will focus on the development of integrated weed management (IWM) programs for plasticulture, vegetable production systems

The University of Florida's Division of Sponsored Research received a $200,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture under the Crop Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program (CFDA 10.329), effective September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2027. The project will develop Integrated Weed Management (IWM) programs for plasticulture vegetable production systems, utilizing tomato as the primary test scenario. The research will leverage smart spray technology to enable growers to monitor weed populations through video imagery and apply pre- and post-emergence herbicides with precision, only when and where needed, rather than relying on broadcast applications and fumigants as currently practiced across the Southeast.

The deliverables include: (1) video imagery analysis systems to map and monitor weed populations over time and evaluate IWM effectiveness; (2) comparative evaluations of commercial weed management practices against precision IWM programs utilizing smart spray technology; (3) assessments of smart spray technology for both pre- and post-emergence herbicide applications; and (4) adoption promotion strategies to increase grower acceptance of IWM methodologies. The research is expected to reduce herbicide and labor inputs while improving long-term weed management outcomes and advancing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) adoption within the plasticulture vegetable industry.

Growers across the southeast rely predominately on broadcast herbicide applications, plastic mulches, and fumigants for weed control. Weed management tools are utilized but rarely integrated into long-term management programs. The recent development of smart spray technology at the university of florida can facilitate the adoption of IPM principals by providing the technology necessary for growers to efficiently monitor weed populations over time and apply pre-and post-emergence herbicides only when and where they are needed. The overall goal of this project is to develop IWM programs for vegetables using tomato as the test scenaro. To achieve this goal we will: 1) utilize video imagery collected during field operations to map weed populations, monitor population change over time, focus management efforts, and evaluate IWM effectiveness, 2) compare commercial practices with precision IWM programs that rely on smart spray technology for pest monitoring and precision herbicide applications, 3) evaluate smart spray technology for pre- and post-emergence herbicide applications, and 4) utilize smart spray technology to promote IWM adoption. This approach should improve weed management over time and reduce herbicide and labor inputs. We are confident the proposed research will lead to increased adoption of IPM in plasticulture vegetables.