Book
Open Access
Microwave Based Weed Control and Soil Treatment
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Graham Brodie
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2018
About this book
Herbicide resistance has become an important constraint on modern agricultural practices. An alarming increase in weed biotypes that are resistant to herbicides has also been reported. Opportunity exists for a novel weed management technology, which is also compatible with no-till agricultural practices. Microwave heating can kill both emerged weed plants and weed seeds in the soil. When the intensity of the microwave fields is moderate, plants, which have already emerged, are susceptible to microwave treatment. If the microwave field is intense enough, very rapid volumetric heating and some thermal runaway in the plant structures cause micro-steam explosions in the plant cells, which rupture the plant structures, leading to death. Soil treatment requires significantly more energy; however, there are secondary benefits for crops growing in microwave treated soil. These include: significant reduction of the dormant weed seed bank; significant reduction of nematode populations; significant reduction of fungal populations; better availability of indigenous nitrogen for the plants; more rapid humification; and significant increases in crop growth and yield. Microwave weed management and soil treatment is not restricted by weather conditions; therefore, the technology may offer some timeliness and environmental benefits, which are yet to be quantified in a cropping system.
Author / Editor information
Graham Brodie, Dorin Gupta, Jamal Khan, Sally Foletta, and Natalie Bootes
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
December 17, 2018
eBook ISBN:
9783110605570
Hardcover published on:
December 17, 2018
Hardcover ISBN:
9783110605198
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
185
Illustrations:
64
Coloured Illustrations:
15
Tables:
48
Coloured Tables:
1
Keywords for this book
microwave; herbicide resistance; seed bank reduction; weed knockdown; indigenous soil nitrogen release; enhanced crop growth
Audience(s) for this book
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
Creative Commons
BY-NC-ND 3.0
Safety & product resources
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Manufacturer information:
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
Genthiner Straße 13
10785 Berlin
productsafety@degruyterbrill.com
