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Machine Uses Boiling Water To Kill Weeds
More than a few eyebrows were raised four years ago when we reported on a machine that uses boiling water to cook weeds to death (Vol. 17, No. 1).
The "Aqua Heat" machine is still on the market but has gone through some changes since then.
"While we had a 100% kill rate on weeds, the amount of water used wa
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Machine Uses Boiling Water To Kill Weeds CROPS Weed Control 20-5-4 More than a few eyebrows were raised four years ago when we reported on a machine that uses boiling water to cook weeds to death (Vol. 17, No. 1).
The "Aqua Heat" machine is still on the market but has gone through some changes since then.
"While we had a 100% kill rate on weeds, the amount of water used was a problem," says Chapman Mayo of Aqua Heat Technology Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.
For example, the original machine, with a 1,500-gal. stainless steel water tank, used 60 to 90 gallons of water per minute at necessary application rates of 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of water per acre. That made it impractical for use on a large scale, Mayo says.
However, by redesigning the system, the company was able to reduce water usage to no more than 15 gal. per minute with the same effectiveness, he notes.
The machine uses a large heating coil that brings water up to 220? fired by number two diesel fuel. The machine is being tested for landscape use in several municipalities around the country as well as at a North Carolina air force base, Mayo says. Likewise, they're being used in several orchards, including one in Massachusetts where it's being tested as a way to combat apple scab and insects.
The company is working on a new version of the machine that may make it practical for use on large farm acreage.
"We're working with a wet foam made from soybeans which acts as its own insulating device to keep heat from dissipating from the vegetation too fast," he says. "We're hopeful the foam will allow us to increase speed from the 1 1/2 to 2 mph we're currently able to travel."
Tests have also been conducted with the machine for potato and cotton desiccation and killing alfalfa tops in winter.
The company hopes to have two production units on the market next year. Prices will range from approximately $8,500 for the smallest to $14,000 for the biggest.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Aqua Heat Technology Inc., 8030 Main St. NE, Minneapolis, Minn. 55432 (ph 800 426-4328 or 612 785-2661; fax 2631).
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