Agritechnica update: Give a big shock to weeds

Nov 17, 2023

Farmers are being pushed to find an alternative to desiccants to burn down crops, as companies are increasingly leery of herbicides approved close to harvest.

People have been shocking weeds with electricity for 100 years, but the return on the electricity invested and the technology required to do so safely haven’t always worked.

Crop.zone is a German company developing commercial field-size weed shocking implements, especially to desiccate growing crops before they are harvested and to kill cover crops or hay fields. Crop.zone uses a liquid applied just before the crop is shocked in order to increase the efficacy of the process. The company has been testing that unit in the Outlook, Sask. area this summer.

Now the company has created an implement that can fit on a standard sprayer. The sprayer provides the liquid and the boom unit will fit between the rows, giving the unit the potential to control weeds during crop growth. Crop.zone partnered with John Deere to build the new unit and together they were one of the winners of the top concept award at Agritechnica.

The biggest equipment at Agritechnica is for potatoes and sugar beets. It shows how much money is invested in harvesting and processing some types of vegetables. There’s a whole building full of potato equipment at Agritechnica and it’s impressive the technological innovation that’s gone into managing the steps it takes to get vegetables to the market.

Click here to see more...

Video: Agriculture Secretary Rollins Speaks at American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim

One of the highlights at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in Anaheim, California, was an address by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. During her remarks, she thanked America’s farmers and ranchers and said the Trump Administration is fully aware that food security is national security.

She also acknowledged the challenging times in Farm Country with low commodity prices and high input costs and said that’s why the President stepped in to help with the recent Bridge Assistance Program.

Montana Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Scott Kulbeck says that Farm Bureau members are appreciative of the help and looks forward to working with the American Farm Bureau Federation and its presence in Washington, DC to keep farmers and ranchers in business.

Secretary Rollins said the Trump Administration is also committed to helping ranchers build back America’s cattle herd while also providing more high-quality U.S. beef at the meat case for consumers.

And she also announced more assistance for specialty crop producers who only received a fraction of the $12 billion Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA).

It’s important to note that producers who qualify for Farmer Bridge Assistance can expect the Farm Service Agency to start issuing payments in late February. For more information, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center.