RootWave demostrates weeder for fruit crops

A group of farmers and growers attended a demonstration of a RootWave prototype for fruit crops at Windmill Hill Farm.  Trials in collaboration with Lucozade Ribena Suntory were run in alleys of conventionally farmed chuckle-berries and organically farmed blackcurrants.  Both organic and conventional farmers were in attendance and the feedback on the day was very positive.

This field lab is part of a European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development funded project to evaluate the potential of RootWave’s non-chemical technology to control weeds using electricity.  The aim of this field lab is to test whether RootWave’s electrical weeding technology can be developed to provide a practical solution for fruit growers by addressing the three main concerns of using electrical technology in this environment:

  1. Long-term efficacy of weed control
  2. Speed of weed control,
  3. Cost of electrical weed control comparing alternative weed control methods.