Researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada are testing a high-voltage “Weed Zapper” to assess its effectiveness, safety, and potential as a chemical-free weed control option.
There’s something on Prince Edward Island that’s destroying weeds in a flash. It’s called the Weed Zapper, and it can give farmers the ability to safely harness the power of electricity to kill weeds.
Even though Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) biologist Nicolle MacDonald first learned about such technology about 5 years ago, the concept of using electricity to destroy weeds dates back as early as the late 1800’s. The first electric weed control equipment was developed in the 1970’s for controlling bolting beets within sugar beets.
Nicolle works at the AAFC Charlottetown Research and Development Centre on Prince Edward Island but is one of several biologists working across the country under AAFC’s Pest Management Centre (PMC), headquartered in Ottawa. Nicolle works for the PMC’s Pesticide Risk Reduction program whose role is to focus on developing and implementing reduced risk solutions for pest management issues, including alternative pest management tools and practices.
Click here to see more...