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Weed Seed Destructor Coming To Market
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).




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2012 - Volume #36, Issue #2