Farmers on the East Coast can now fight weeds with laser beams that work just as well as chemical sprays on peas, beets, and spinach.

As Cornell University detailed, these smart machines move along crop rows, snap pictures, and use computer smarts to distinguish between crops and weeds. 

When it spots a weed, the machine fires a laser that kills only the unwanted plant without damaging nearby crops. Farmers can choose which weeds to target first, such as tiny ones growing right beside food plants that people might miss.

Until now, these laser zappers were mostly used by West Coast growers, but scientists wondered if they'd be effective in East Coast fields with their unique soils and rainfall. 

Lynn Sosnoskie from Cornell and Thierry Besançon from Rutgers conducted field tests across New York and New Jersey to compare the machines with chemical weed killers.

The researchers created test areas with four setups: one where weeds grew freely, another using regular weed chemicals, a third with just laser treatment, and a fourth combining both methods. 

They kept track of how plants emerged, grew, and how many weeds survived. Each test spot got laser treatments two or three times, with about 10 days between each pass.

"We wanted to know if laser weeders are going to perform as well as business as usual here on the East Coast, and it turns out, they can," Sosnoskie explained in the research paper, which was published in Pest Management Science.

The findings showed that the laser method worked as well as, or better than, three common weed chemicals in killing annual weeds. Lasers did a good job on weeds like lambsquarters and ragweed, but had a harder time with purslane and grasses since their growing points are hidden underground. 

Compared to doing nothing, the laser treatments cut weed coverage by up to 45% and reduced weed numbers by as much as 66%.

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The laser approach was kinder to crops, too. While chemical sprays delayed the appearance of plants and slowed their growth, laser-treated crops showed almost no slowing (less than 1%) and grew up to 30% larger than those treated with chemicals.

For farmers concerned about chemical costs and crop damage, and for organic growers who pay for hand-weeding, these machines are an alternative approach. 

At up to $1.5 million each, they're too pricey for most small farms right now, but three onion farms in New York are already using them.

While experts refine these systems for different regions and weed types, new models with stronger lasers are hitting the market. This progress could reduce chemical use in farming and increase food production, making our meals and our planet healthier.

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