PHOTO: CNH PHOTO: CNH


WEED CONTROL ▶▶▶


CNH Xpower kills off weed using electricity


BY FRITS HUIDEN T


he forthcoming ban on glyphosate in Europe and increasing resistance to other herbicides create a considera- ble incentive to seek alternative


methods of weed control. Zasso, in Aachen (Germany) offers one such alternative. Zasso’s machine travels over the ground at 3 to 5 kilo- metres per hour, sending 4,000 to 7,000 volts through the weeds. CNH (Case IH, New Hol- land and Steyr) have put their faith in the product, and are to begin selling it in the agri- culture sector with a separate product line, AgXtend. Zasso itself will continue the prod- uct development. It has also invested € 1.5 million in protecting its patent. “We are not working under any illusion that no one else will be able to copy it, but if we ultimately gain 20% of the market share and the world is saved from herbicides, we will be very happy with that,” says CEO Dirk Vandenhirtz. Zasso has received orders for 45 machines already this year.


Brazilian invention The idea of killing weeds using electrical cur- rent is not a novel one. In the 1950s, two Americans invented their Electric Weed-Killing Apparatus, while the 1980s saw Lasco in Mis- sissippi (USA) launch the LW5 Lightning Weed- er. Zasso’s machine is a Brazilian invention, which uses electricity to damage a plant’s cell walls. The electricity flows from the leaf down to the roots via the path of least resistance: the fluid inside the plant. The fluid leaks out through the damaged cell walls and the plant dries out. The method is most effective in dry conditions, otherwise too much energy is lost through damp soil. According to Zasso staff member Matthias Eberius, soil organisms (such as worms and moles) remain unaffected, because the amount of electricity and resist- ances are attuned to one another. Further re- search is still needed to support that claim, however. Around 300 joules are required to kill


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There is considerable potential in the destruction of weeds using high voltage electric power, certainly now that a company such as CNH is to provide its backing. It could become a useful alternative in view of the prospect of a ban on several key herbicides.


each plant. Several days later, it is clear to see how much grass has dried out and died off.


One and a half hectares per hour The machine consists of an alternating current generator with 18 transformers and frequency regulators at the rear, plus a frame with three rows of ‘paddles’ at the front. The frontmost two rows form the positive pole, which con- ducts the electricity to the plants, while the negative pole is situated on the back row. The generator at the rear requires around 30 to 50 hp per metre of working width. At present, the machine travels at 3 to 5 km/h, measures 3≈m in width, and therefore provides capacity of al- most 1.5 ha per hour. It weighs two metric tonnes in total and has 18 paddles per row. The paddles of the plus pole in the first and second rows are situated some distance apart


from one another to ensure greater efficacy. “We probably tested 50 paddles before con- cluding that each application requires a differ- ent type of paddle in order to maximise the contact surface area,” explains Dirk Vanden- hirtz. At present, the paddles consist of flexi- ble fins made from stainless steel to provide the most effective conduction, and no more than 3 kW of power pass through them. The development of the product is intended to adapt the frequency and electricity level to the type of crop, height, moisture level, and the root system. This should make it possible to increase the speed again to per- haps 10 km/h, while also increasing capacity. “We will collect those data from the field again, provided our customers are willing to share them with us. This will enable us to im- prove the machine, thereby staying a step


In future the housing at the rear will be smaller. The high-voltage transformers will be placed at the front, in order to reduce the number of cables running alongside the tractor.


▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 February 2019


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