Environment

Weed-killing plant-based foam shown to be as effective as herbicides

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Pictured here being used to kill weeds between cobblestones, Foamstream has recently been trialled on olive groves in Greece
Weedingtech
There are two versions of the Foamstream foam, for different applications – one is derived from wheat, maize, coconut oil, canola oil and potatoes, while the other is based on olive oil
Weedingtech
Pictured here being used to kill weeds between cobblestones, Foamstream has recently been trialled on olive groves in Greece
Weedingtech

It's no secret that herbicides can be harmful to the environment, plus they're costly, and weeds may develop a resistance to them. New research now suggests that farmers could get the same weed-killing results from a hot biodegradable foam.

In the past, scientists have tried killing weeds by scalding them with steam and/or hot water. This approach has only met with limited success, however, due to the fact that the heat simply escaped into the atmosphere before much of it was transferred into the weeds. What was needed was a substance that retained heat for a longer period of time.

That's where the Foamstream system comes in.

Developed by British agricultural company Weedingtech, it incorporates a liquid foam made of plant oils and sugars, which is mixed with hot water and sprayed via a hand wand directly onto weeds. The foam then forms a layer of insulation, keeping the heat on the weeds long enough for it to penetrate their leaves' outer surface, then travel down their stems and into their roots – effectively killing them. Once its job is done, the foam dries up and biodegrades into the soil.

There are two versions of the Foamstream foam, for different applications – one is derived from wheat, maize, coconut oil, canola oil and potatoes, while the other is based on olive oil
Weedingtech

As part of a study recently conducted by a team from the Agricultural University of Athens, Foamstream was used to control charlock mustard weeds (Sinapis arvensis) in select plots located in two olive groves in southern Greece.

In other plots in those same groves, the scientists also tried mowing the weeds, covering them with mulch, applying pelargonic acid (a natural herbicide) and applying glyphosate (a commonly used synthetic herbicide) – as a control, they also left the weeds in some of the plots untreated.

At the end of the treatment period, it was found that Foamstream reduced weed biomass by 81 to 96 percent, as compared to mowing, mulching, pelargonic acid, or no treatment. Its performance more or less matched that of glyphosate, which is the sort of eco-unfriendly herbicide it's intended to replace.

The scientists have stated that more research still needs to be conducted, including an assessment of how well the technology works on other types of plants under other conditions. A paper on the study, which was led by Nikolaos Antonopoulos, was recently published in the journal Smart Agricultural Technology.

Source: Weedingtech via New Scientist

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7 comments
Jonathan Lyons
If it retains enough heat to kill the plant and it's root systems, would it also be hot enough that it's damaging the topsoil and its microbiome?
TechGazer
I'm guessing that it won't help much against long-rooted weeds, such as Canada thistle. I'm skeptical about it being more effective against thick-rooted weeds, such as dandelion, than just pulling the leaves off. If it is effective against some weeds, that's great, but it's likely that their marketing won't include a list of the weeds that it is effective against and a clear warning that it won't be effective against others.

Still, there will likely be some situations where this treatment will be a better choice than some others.
Jimmy the Geek
It's hard to imagine how this process would fully affect the root system and as a result the weed would just grow right back from the roots.
SteveMc
I very much hope this works and glyphosate use is finally eradicated. I have my doubts about this working on many other types of weeds with deeper root systems but let’s hope it is successful with the worst crop effecting species. For the record, Dandelions are not weeds. They possess immense food value and should be cultivated as such. In most of the EU, dandelion is a staple food, mostly served in green leaf salads, the flower is also highly nutritious, and the roots are a concentrated superfood with a variety of medicinal properties - used by ‘big pharma’, who obviously won’t advertise this fact. Dandelion makes an excellent tea also, however, I wouldn’t pick it from a farmers field…
TpPa
same thought perhaps, but with a 10" probe that gets pushed into the ground steaming the root area. I agree with screwing up the soil microbes, but I'm sure round-up does a fine job of that & poisoning you. Dandelion's are a great source of nutrition & medicinal uses, makes an interesting wine also.
Dandelions are only on the "S" list because once upon a time someone powerful decided that pretty yellow flowers in his pretty manicured lawn looked bad, as per usual, society followed.
MKO
Can this stuff kill Horsetail? If yes, sign me up. The weed killers I've tried are like an appetizer to this pesky plant.
Captain Obvious
If you're killing weeds on a path or road you don't worry about topsoil or microbiome.
Horsetail has runners waaay down in the ground which will be untouched by surface treatment. You can dig them up, keep killing the tops until they (or you) give up, or move to Arizona.
We use vinegar to kill weeds, mixed with salt on driveways.