Equipment (Not Herbicide) Makers Are Best Positioned to Fight Resistant Weeds

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In his Upstream Ag Insights newsletter, analyst Shane Thomas says if on-the-combine attachments that destroy weed seeds become mainstream, they could significantly help lower the tolerance for weed seed escapes in a specific area.\

He noted the ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) going into sprayers and harvesting equipment illustrates “why equipment companies are strongly positioned in the fight against resistance weeds and supporting the sustainable production of crops around the world.”

Global Neighbor Inc.'s Weed Seed Destroyer and Carbon Robotics' LaserWeeder are two notable examples, Thomas says. The Weed Seed Destroyer uses a blue light treatment to render tough, chemical-resistant weed seeds unable to germinate. 

“We found light energy from the bluish-purple segments of the visible light spectrum, along with mid-range infrared rays, damages cells near the seed’s surface responsible for root development,” says Jon Jackson, president of Global Neighbor. “The treated seed is still healthy, but it is incapable of physical germination and the production of a radicle. The seed cannot establish itself in the field.”

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