Foam weed killer scoops award at LAMMA show
With 760 manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting, the show features the latest news and innovations in farming machinery.
The Weedingtech company was awarded the Best New Product or Innovation title for its AW-80 Series, powered by Foamstream, launched at the event.
Weeding has become more difficult for farmers due to increasing legislation around the use of herbicides, and the high expense of manual weeding.
Weedingtech’s new Foamstream weed control technology overcomes many problems by using a combination of hot water, steam and natural foam to kill weeds.
The natural foam acts as a thermal blanket, keeping the heat on the weed long enough to kill it.
Secondly, it contains a wetting agent for heat penetration through the weed plant’s exterior walls, rupturing the cells, killing it quickly.
Thirdly, the density of the foam ensures precise application and negligible drift.
Foamstream is applied by the tractor PTO-powered AW Series weeding machine on the front and rear three-point-linkage systems.
A rear unit houses the Foamstream engine, three on-demand industrial heaters, an 800-litre tank and a power-lance for larger, more challenging spot weeding requirements.
A front rail carries six nozzles, and all is controlled by a touch-screen console in the tractor cab.
The UK-developed and manufactured technology can be used throughout the growing season for pre-emergent, inter-row, inter-plant and spot weed control.
The manufacturers also claim it isn’t weather dependent, specialist training is not required, it is environmentally safe, and can reduce your carbon footprint
Foamstream is non-toxic, made from 100% natural, renewable plant oils and sugars, including oil seed rape, potato, wheat and maize. It’s approved for use by leading international regulatory bodies.
Weedingtech has commissioned an independent review by one of the UK’s leading botanists, Dr David Hanke of the University of Cambridge.
It has been used by a number of British wildlife trusts to treat the non-native invasive weed, crassula, and Weedingtech is the supplier of choice for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and Norfolk County Council.
