Electric Weed Control Proves Shockingly Effective
17 July 2025
Last update: 17/07/25 15:08
A recently published article in the journal Weed Science shows electric control technologies can eradicate weeds just as effectively as herbicides or mechanical methods, with minimal risks to the crop, soil or the environment.
“Here, we show for the first time that electric weed control in viticulture has comparable efficiency to that achieved by herbicides,” says Catherine Borger, Ph.D., Principal Research Scientist, Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, who specializes in weed science. “Electric weed control will be of particular importance for those where herbicide resistance is increasingly problematic and for organic growers.”
In the study, Borger and Miranda Slaven (Research Scientist) conducted spring trials in vineyards near Yallingup, Western Australia, during 2022 and 2023. The researchers used a tractor fitted with an Zasso™ XPower electric weed control machine that featured a rear-mounted XPower 36 kW power supply unit and an XPS applicator mounted on each side, with six electrode arrays per applicator.
Electric weed control technologies offer several important advantages compared to herbicide applications, points out Borger. “These advantages include no chemical residues in the environment or food, no rain-fast period after application, no restrictions on use in windy conditions due to drift, no chemical resistance and no off-target impacts on neighboring vegetation or waterways,” she says. “However, the disadvantages include slow application speed and high fuel usage.”
More information about the study is available in the article: “Electric weed control—how does it compare to conventional weed control methods?. The research article is among other third-quarter 2025 research articles featured in Weed Science, a Weed Science Society of America journal, published online by Cambridge University Press. Borger can be contacted about the study at catherine.borger@dpird.wa.gov.au, or 0467 816 082.
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