Weed Seed Destructor Coming To Market

Weed Seed Destructor Coming To Market COMBINES Accessories An Australian machine allows grain farmers to harvest crops and destroy weed seeds at the same time It’s common practice in Australia to pull enclosed chaff carts behind harvesting equipment to collect weed seeds which are later burned Ray Harrington thought burning was dangerous and not always effective because he would see too much rye grass seed blow out of the carts After more than a decade of work he introduced the Harrington Seed Destructor a couple of years ago to be tested on Australian farms Chaff and weed seed go into the enclosed machine mounted on a trailer behind the harvester An impact mill pulverizes the seeds so they can’t germinate Five years of testing by the Australian Herbicide Resistance Institute indicates that the destructor kills more than 80 percent of weed seeds By eliminating the seeds Harrington’s machine provides a non-chemical weed-control method “Currently it’s direct-powered by its own engine but we are looking to power it hydraulically or electrically ” Harrington says After a couple of years of field research with prototypes the first two machines will be manufactured this year Harrington says they will be useful for farmers anywhere battling all types of weeds Cost for the seed destructor is expected to be about $150 000 Australian dollars or $161 656 U S dollars Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ray Harrington Box 65 Darkan West Australia 6392 ph 011 61 427 363 004; rbh7@bigpond com au

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.