A prototype of a hoeing tool for mechanical weeding of the intra-row area in row crops like sugar beet and vegetables based on single plant detection was developed and evaluated. For the detection of a test plants centre-position, a simplified methodology based on the spectral characteristics combined with the context information of the planting pattern was developed and tested. The prototype was realised using a servo motor providing rotational speed adjustment of the hoeing tool according to the forward speed of the carrier, intra-row distance between plants and observed position of the arms. Experiments under laboratory conditions were conducted to check the accuracy and behaviour of the hoeing tool. Tests have proved that an uncultivated area big enough to avoid damaging of the plants can be left around the plants during the intra-row weeding with the developed system.
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