Archive for Dezember, 2010

Steam is the hot topic in November

Montag, Dezember 6th, 2010

As often as hardly before steaming against weeds and pathogens has been a popular topic among experts. On the 10th of November 2010 one speech called „steaming with new technologies“ was dedicated to steaming of open land areas at the speech conference for horticulture organized by the State Horticultural College and Research Institute in Heidelberg (LVG Heidelberg). In the speech in particular the „Daempfmobil“, a fully automated steaming system as well as the „Steam Mixer“ were presented.

Furthermore LVG Heidelberg introduced the research results of a study on steaming baby leaf salads which was prepared by the University Hohenheim in the summer of 2009.

With Steam increased yields without weeds

In the research report concise evidence was provided not only that hot steam as weed control measure is superior to herbicides and mechanical methods but also that steam increases yields significantly.

Fresh mass of salad in kg/ha in comparisson to soil steaming (Bodendämpfung), herbicide (Herbizid), hand hoe (Handhacke) and control area
Fresh mass of salad in kg/ha in comparisson to soil steaming (Bodendämpfung), herbicide (Herbizid), hand hoe (Handhacke) and control area

Comparison of fresh mass of salad for several different weed control measures.

As yields hardly differ between the control area and the areas using herbicide and hoe as control weed measure the significant yield increase after steaming (almost 100%) is especially remarkable.

Fresh mass of weeds in kg/ha in comparisson to soil steaming (Bodendämpfung), herbicide (Herbizid), hand hoe (Handhacke) and control area
Fresh mass of weeds in kg/ha in comparisson to soil steaming (Bodendämpfung), herbicide (Herbizid), hand hoe (Handhacke) and control area

Comparison of fresh mass of weeds for several different weed control measures

Although the use of herbicide shows better results than the hoe, the superiority of steaming is obvious. In contrast to all other methods steaming almost eliminates all weeds.

Besides the conference in Heidelberg, the horticulture day of the Service Center for Rural Areas (DLR) Rheinlandpfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) which took place on the 26th of November 2010, provided another platform to present the positive effects of steaming. Within one speech the amazing steaming success of the latest tests of this year against weeds were introduced.