Weeds can easily become the bane of every farmer’s existence. From pigweed, to water hemp, to thistles, all fields- and all farmers- have weeds, unwanted wild plants that steal valuable nutrients and crowd out crops. Weed management is often the largest challenge that farmers face, but some weeds can even become parasitic, leaching nutrients directly from the roots of crops, or herbicide resistant, where the use of herbicides like glyphosate become ineffective. Some weeds produce thousands of seeds over the course of one growing season, and some weeds grow from a rhizome root system that makes them almost impossible to eradicate. These varieties of weeds and the rest of their brethren can make field clean up a headache for any farmer.
Enter electric weeders like The Weed Zapper. Electric weeders combine technology with machinery to create a powerful weed killer that causes plant death in a matter of seconds. Fascinatingly enough, while electric weeders are proven to be effective and efficient weed annihilators, it is the other qualities that they possess that make electricides such an incredible tool. These include being environmentally friendly, the ability to be used on many varieties of both crop and weed species, longevity of use, and ease of use for the operator. These characteristics help The Weed Zapper and other electric weeders stand out from other weed control methods like flame weeding or herbicide spraying.
Electricides, while recently gaining a resurgence in popularity, are by no means a new technology. Originally developed in the late 1800’s, the first electric weeders were both primitive and expensive. This led to the easy replacement of electric weeders with the debut of glyphosate. With the ease of use and availability of glyphosate- marketed as Round-Up- and the widely misunderstood use of electricity and inefficiency of the first models of electric weed control, the technology fell out of favor. Fortunately, the technology was never lost, which meant that later generations could find and improve upon it to make electric weed control a viable alternative to herbicides.
With an electric weeder like The Weed Zapper, electricity starts in the generator, moving through the transformer and a series of cables to the front boom, where it charges a copper bar set into the boom. This electric current then moves through any plant unfortunate enough to come in contact with the bar, down through the root, where the electricity becomes grounded and disperses. Electric weeders are nonselective, which means that they cannot distinguish weed from crop, and will shock either in equal measure. However, the operator can control where the boom is allowed to make contact by use of a special hitch. Electric weed control is innovative in that weeds cannot develop any sort of resistance to electricity, and that its kill rate is nearly 100% for any weed that makes proper contact.
Some of the important features of electricides are the multi purpose functionality of the machine and low environmental impact. Weed Zapper operators have had great success using The Weed Zapper to kill off cover crops before crimping or chopping it into mulch, or drying down hemp for harvest. This is in addition to the weed fighting capabilities that The Weed Zapper is already known for.
Additionally, the use of electric weed management benefits soil health and pollinator numbers. The Weed Zapper has been scientifically proven to have little to no effect on earthworms, and is equally noninvasive when it comes to pollinators like the endangered monarch butterfly, whose numbers have diminished due to the use of chemical herbicides like Roundup. There can be no residual electricity or chemical residue left behind with electric weeders, thus making them an excellent choice for organic and environmentally conscientious farmers.
Too, electric weeders like The Weed Zapper are, when combined with a well managed farm system, able to pay for themselves in as little as one year. (See OSM’s Payment Calculator to see just how much The Weed Zapper could save you!) In fields that have not seen profitable yields in years due to high weed pressure, The Weed Zapper can bring cleaner fields and improved returns, and help give next year’s crops a head start.
One of the greatest advancements that electric weeders have made in recent years is creating machines that are more operator friendly. The first electric weeders were drug behind the tractor, increasing operator fatigue as the operator continually looked over his shoulder. New models of electric weeders like The Weed Zapper eliminate this issue by mounting the boom at the front of the tractor.
Additionally, the first electric weeders used ceramic insulators, which were prone to breaking and cracking as the machine moved across the uneven ground of fields. This caused issues for the operator as the machine would not work properly without intact conductors, and could become dangerous. The Weed Zapper utilizes polyethylene insulators that are much more secure and naturally less prone to breakage, making the overall machine more safe and effective.
One of the largest concerns that surrounds the use of electric weeders is the safety aspect. It is a common misconception that working with such a high voltage makes the machine any more dangerous than any other farm equipment. However, the engineers at Old School Manufacturing have taken precautions to ensure the safety of operators, like adding a seat cushion, wing tip sensors, speed sensors, and overheating sensors. Each of these safeties will immediately cut all power to the boom if they are triggered, eliminating the risk of accidental electrocution.
Another of the important improvements OSM has made includes creating bigger boom sizes and self propelled units, called the Annihilator and Terminator series’. These larger machines cater to farmers with greater acreage, something that most electricide manufacturers don’t take into account.
Electric weed control is not a stand alone weed management system; on the contrary, electric weeders work best when integrated into already existing farming practices, like cover cropping, crop rotation, cultivation, or other forms of natural weed control. Electric weeders are ineffective on pre emergent weeds or weeds that have not reached above the crop canopy, so an effective weed management system must take this into account.
Electric weed control has often been touted as a “clean up system” most useful for stray weeds that were missed in the early stages of weed elimination, or for weeds that have gotten out of control. Of course, with advancements and improvements being constantly added to newer machines, operators are able to get out into fields faster than ever before, but the fact still remains that weeds must be above the row crop canopy. Ben Kroeger, CEO of Old School Manufacturing, said it best when he said that The Weed Zapper isn’t proactive, it’s reactive. Thus, electric weeders like The Weed Zapper will be most productive when paired with practices that target early weeds.
Electric weeders are usable in many different varieties of crops, including the more common soybeans, wheat, sorghum, milo, and sugar beets, to the more unconventional like melons, carrots, blueberries, sweet potatoes, black beans, and cotton. Electric weeders are capable of running in all kinds of environments, though it is best to not operate in heavy moisture, as this will cause the electricity to flow around the outside of the plant, rather than through it, meaning that there will be less damage to the plant and will affect kill rate.
Due to their popularity and utility, electric weeders have gained attention and popularity in recent years, which has caused many new ideas and developments to form. European companies like Xpower, Zasso, and Rootwave have all produced new forms of electric weeders recently, each with a different area of weed control in mind. (A study comparing these kinds of electricides with The Weed Zapper can be found here.) While many companies look to make electric weeders for home use, The Weed Zapper looks primarily to market to large scale row crop farmers.
The Weed Zapper’s largest unit is a 60’ self propelled unit called the Terminator. In comparison, Zasso’s largest unit is only roughly 15 feet wide. In areas like Europe or Latin America, smaller widths have greater moveability and are a better choice, but in areas like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, where farmers are dealing with thousands of acres, a larger machine is necessary. Old School Manufacturing intends to continue growing along these lines, creating expanded systems that will better benefit large scale farmers.
Too, The Weed Zapper is committed to updating the machines as quickly as possible. As those who subscribe to Old School Manufacturing’s newsletter know, OSM offers free downloads of machine programming updates on The Weed Zapper website, as well as detailed instructions and videos for installation.
Electric weed control is here to stay as chemical resistance numbers become higher, and the world at large begins looking for sustainable and clean practices. Electricity becomes the obvious choice when compared to other clean technologies like steam, which necessitates the use of more fuel.
Electric weeders have made huge advancements in recent years, including safer machinery, larger boom sizes, and fine-tuning areas of wear on the machine. Electric weed control is proven to be sustainable, eco-friendly, and an efficient way to get rid of weeds. Future research and development will bring about many more advancements to electric weeders, meaning that this area of weed control will only get better and better.
For more information about electricides and how they compare to other forms of weed control, check out some of our other blog posts at Old School Manufacturing.
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