Band-steaming for intra-row weed control

Summary

Steaming the soil prior to crop sowing has the potential of eliminating weed seedling emergence completely. Thus, steaming might be a perspective technique for intra-row weed control in non-herbicidal row crops of high value, where manual weeding can be very laborious. This paper presents some preliminary results with the effects of steaming on weed seedling emergence. The work is part of a joint project involving both biological and technical aspects of steaming. The overall objective is to develop an applicable technique for applying steam in bands corresponding to the intra-row area of a row crop. Band-steaming is expected to use much less energy as compared to current steaming techniques for arable usage.