Effectiveness of Mechanical Precision Weed Control in Organically Grown Winter Spelt Wheat

Weed competition restricts organic cereal production. In our study on the mechanical control of weeds, classic (tined weeder) and modern machines were used (spring-tined weeder, rotary weeder and camera-guided hoe). The study was conducted in two growing seasons, 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, on an organic farm, with medium-heavy soil in central Poland. Precision weed control included the following treatments: the first pass was done using a precision spring-tined weeder, the second using a rotary weeder, the third using a camera-guided precision hoe, and the fourth using the rotary weeder once more. Precision weed control compared to classic weed control resulted in a 5.5-times lower number of weeds per 1 m2 and an 8.6-times lower weed biomass. Precision weed control resulted in higher yields—in a classic weed control scheme, spelt wheat yielded almost 4.5 t of dehulled grain per ha, and in precision weed control, yields were ca. 10% higher. Grain quality was high—protein content was approximately 14%, gluten content 28.8% and the Zeleny index was 53.8 mL.