Destroying weed seeds

A device called the Harrington seed destructor will be tested on several Aussie farms this year. Australia’s Grains Research and Development Corporation has assisted in the development and has an article posted about it. The Western Australia Herbicide Resistance Initiative has also been involved. The machine is pulled behind a combine like a chaff cart and it crushes weed seeds so they won’t germinate. Like saving chaff or burning straw rows, it cuts down on the bank of weed seeds going back on the land. The machine has been developed by inventor Ray Harrington and thus the name – Harrington seed destructor. In another article I found online, Harrington describes the machine as being like a mill with high speed steel bars. However, it doesn’t grind the chaff. It relies on impact to shatter the weed seeds. There’s no information on how much power it takes to operate the seed destructor or what it might cost, but it is an interesting concept. The plan is to have four or five machines tested on Aussie farms during this year’s harvest. I’m Kevin Hursh.