The ninth annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day will be held Sept. 16 at Michigan State University’s Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor. For the first time, the field day will include a focus on tree fruit crops.

Farmers will be able to see weeding tools of all scales demonstrated in the field and talk with company representatives from the United States, Europe and Japan. 

The field day will include a trade show and educational sessions. This year’s sessions will include a discussion about nonherbicide approaches to orchard floor and weed management, led by fruit grower Kyle Rasch and MSU tree fruit extension specialist Dan Dick. Using equipment on display at the field day, Rasch and Dick will discuss different approaches to mechanical weed control, including how the equipment operates, the strengths and limitations of different strategies, orchard suitability, and practical considerations for growers interested in reducing reliance on herbicides. 

Machinery demonstrations will be held in high-density apple and freestanding peach orchards at the research station. In addition to showing how the machines should be mounted and properly adjusted according to crop and soil conditions, the demos also will help growers visualize how the implements can work on their own farms. 

On-site registration opens at 8 a.m., along with the trade show, and the event is scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. The fee is $85. 

For more information, visit: thelandconnection.org/event/2026-mmwcfd. •