Killing weeds without chemicals - the future may be electric

An electric current can clear vineyard weeds as effectively as herbicides and mowing, scientists have shown. It offers growers a chemical‑free option that performs well in real‑world conditions while posing only a minor seasonal fire risk.

The discovery comes from research led by  Catherine Borger and Miranda Slaven from Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Working with the Zasso XPower system, the team compared electric weeding with glyphosate spraying and mowing during two consecutive spring seasons.

The findings give fresh momentum to electric weed control at a time when herbicide resistance and consumer concern over chemical residues are on the rise.

Testing high-voltage weeding

The trials took place in 2022 and 2023 at four commercial vineyards near Yallingup, a cool‑climate wine region south of Perth.

Each site carried dense spring growth. It was dominated by annual grasses such as rigid ryegrass and long‑flowered veldtgrass, as well as sprawling legumes and hardy kikuyu.

Researchers mounted a 36 kW power unit on a tractor and fitted retractable electrode arrays to reach beneath vine canopies.

Traveling at a cautious 0.7 to 0.9 mph, they applied either the full 48-horsepower or a reduced 32-horsepower setting to each vine row.

Parallel plots received a standard tank mix of glyphosate plus amitrole or were mown at a height of 2 inches.

Effective alternative to herbicides

The researchers harvested the biomass five weeks later, and the numbers were clear.

Electric weeding at either power level removed 84 to 87 percent of weed mass. This matched the 88 percent weed removal rate that glyphosate achieved. Mowing lagged behind at 65 percent.

“We show electric weed control in viticulture has comparable efficiency to that achieved by herbicides,” Borger said.

Just as important for growers, repeated NDVI scans confirmed that neither voltage setting injured the grapevines themselves; canopy greenness and shoot growth were identical across all treatments.

Good fit for organics

Electric pulses kill by puncturing plant tissues and burning roots, and they bring several advantages that chemicals cannot match.

“These advantages include no chemical residues in the environment or food, no rain‑fast period after application, no restrictions on use in windy conditions, no chemical resistance and no impacts on neighboring vegetation or waterways,” noted Borger.

The benefits carry particular weight in Australian viticulture. More than six percent of production is now certified organic, and herbicide‑resistant ryegrass threatens many conventional blocks.

“Electric weed control will be of particular importance for organic growers,” Borger added.

Limits of electric weeding

The technology is not without drawbacks. The disadvantages include slow application speed and high fuel usage.

Fire was the other concern. To quantify the danger, the researchers applied electricity to plots covered with dry barley straw and oat hay.

Sparks ignited debris only when plant residues were bone‑dry and the tractor moved slowly. Doubling ground speed cut sparks by 90 percent. Real vineyard passes in damp spring conditions produced no ignition at all.

“In every field experiment we conducted during spring, there were zero fires, and this is the most common time of year for weed management in Western Australia,” Borger said.

“Electric weed control is suitable for use in winter/spring weed management within the Mediterranean climate but not for control of summer or autumn weeds.”

Integrating electric weeding

Taken together, the findings suggest a practical pathway for growers. Electric treatment can substitute for one or two spring herbicide applications, reducing chemical load and slowing resistance. Conventional spraying or mowing can still tidy escapes later in the season.

Adoption may accelerate as autonomous tractors become common in vineyards. Slow operating speeds are far less costly when machines can run unattended.

Further work will test performance at higher speeds, different soil moistures, and against perennial weeds with deeper reserves.

Sustainable weed control

By proving that electric weeders can match chemicals under commercial conditions, Borger’s team has electrified the weed‑control debate. They have also supplied rare quantitative data on fire risk, giving growers concrete guidance on when and how to use the tools safely.

If follow‑up trials confirm similar benefits in orchards and row‑crop systems, voltage could become a central pillar of integrated weed management.

Electric weed control would help farmers meet market demands for cleaner produce while protecting the efficacy of precious herbicides.

The study is published in the journal Weed Science.

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