Soil-Steaming and Steam-Boiler Blog – for healthy soil and plants

The steaming robot, which has been developed last year, has left prototype status. End of March MSD Gmbh, the developer of the steaming robot which received the Indega and Taspo RAM innovation awards , announced that the system has been fully developed and that the German government safety association has approved the machine.

Approval by the government safety organization required further safety measures. Besides optimization of the driver’s console an automatic barrier recognition system has been installed (e.g. for kids) which leads to an emergency stop once activated.

Hence the steaming robot, which is manufactured by the Swiss German company Fobro-Kress, is the first approved robot for outdoor areas in Germany, which permanently can be operated without human control.

Steaming robot - BG-approved in 2011

Hundreds of kilometers of shoreline of the Upper Rhine are protected with concrete panels which are joint with each other. In the course of time plants settle in the joints which weaken the structure of the damns. This is a big issue for flood control. Several years ago joints were kept weed free by using herbicides. Due to environmental reasons, herbicides were replaced with manual or mechanical weed control measures.

However on the French side of the Rhine new measures are being assessed.

Joint between two concrete panels

Due to high labor cost and relatively low effectivity, authorities started to look for new ways to control weeds. After several tests with hot steam yielded excellent results, concrete panels and joints will be treated with steam every year. This saves labor time and brings much better results.

For further information please get in touch with the company MSD, Durbach; Email: info@moeschle.de

As in 2009 the present winter 2010/2010 is extraordinarily snowy. Streets and paths need to be cleared, masses of snow pile up to big mountains. Where to put it?

On German roofs the situtation here and there gets serious. Snowslides become a threat. Snowloads of 30-60 kg per m² roofage are critical. Many flat roofs are in danger of imminent collapse. The result: Communities are forced to close down larger halls and buildings in order to avoid catastrophes.

Industrial plants also need to clear their flat roofs which causes high cost. Hot steam may be an appropriate solution to get rid of snow quickly and cost efficiently.

With steam it’s possible to kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand the roof gets cleared of snow quickly without high labour cost, on the other hand snow simply flows down the roof rail with a temperature of ~6°C at reduced volume as water and doesn’t need to be removed.

Energy cost for melting snow is rather low. In order to melt about 100kg (=~1m³) of snow about 33.500 kJ (=8.006,5 kcal) are needed – this is equivalent to the energy contained by less than one liter fuel oil.

When comparing the steaming method with conventional clearing methods the cost advantages gets obvious. One person clears about 8-10m³ (=800-1.000 kg) snow on average per hour. If an hourly rate of only 20EUR/h is used clearing cost (without snow removal) of about 2 EUR/m³ arise. Furthermore powerful steam generators are able to melt up to 16.000 kg of snow per h (=~16 people).

The use of hot steam is quite simple: Through perforated pipes or hoses, which can easily be layed out on the roof, steam is induced and penetrates the snow. Snow melts. In order to improve efficiency snow can be piled up on top of the steam pipes.

A small demonstration by MSD / Germany illustrates the method how bigger amounts of snow can be easily cleared:

Steam fork with perforated pipes underneath a pile of snow

1. Underneath a big pile of snow a steam fork gets installed. Steam is induced from a steam boiler through steaming hoses. In this example a steam output of 500kg / h is used.

Steam is induced underneath the snow.

2. Through the steam fork steam is induced underneath the snow and exits through holes in the perforated pipes.

Steam exits

3. Here and there steam finds its way to the surface. It is recommended to close such gaps with snow in order to increase efficiency until snow is completely melted.

Please request more information directly at MSD GmbH from Durbach using the email address : info@moeschle.de .

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

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

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.

Mid of September Mobildampf has introduced a new steaming system called Steam – Mixer. Mobildampf is one of the leading steam device rental companies in Germany which mainly offers sheet steaming.

The goal of the innovation was to provide a simple and continuous process for sheet steaming which can be used outdoors and in green houses for steaming depths at 10-25 cm.

At a field show of the Service Center for Rural Areas (DLR) Rheinlandpfalz (Rineland Palatinate) a fully functional prototype was presented which reaches about 10 cm of steaming depth. The device was simply attached to a narrow-track tractor which sterilized an area of about 200m²/h at a speed of 100m/h.

Continuous steaming with a Steam - Mixer

In the future the device will be extended to allow steaming depths to up to 25cm and that 3 tracks can be steamed simultaneously.

Please click on the following link to view a video that shows the use of the system:
Steaming-mixer by Mobildampf

The Service Center for Rural Areas (DLR) Rheinlandpfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) has demonstrated the results of an extensive research series for weed control in beet cultures (in particular for arugula) at a field show on the 16th of September 2010. The research study compared the effectiveness of several herbicides and hot steam.

The tests were started in spring and repeated in summer 2010. The results were impressive and can be concluded as follows:

The use of herbicides decreased yield by up to 80%, depending on what kind of herbicide was used against what kind of weed. Steaming however lead to an increase of yield due to a significant growth projection of about 2-3 weeks. Thereby steam had a 100% effectiveness against all kinds of weed.

Arugula on steamed soil

Arugula after herbicide treamtment

Beetroot on steamed soil

Beetroot after herbicide treatment

This positive effect was reconfirmed at a second research study during summer. The report was published on hortigate.de in September 2010. You may download the document as a PDF by clicking on the following link:

Research report of DLR Rheinlandpfalz, September 2010

Swiss vegetable growers are facing major challenges as no permitted herbicides for weed control are available in particular for arugula cultures.

Therefore the company MSD from Germany, one of the leading soil steaming specialists, presented the advantages of steaming for weed control at the Horticulture Day of Wädenswil University in Switzerland. Mr. Seifert, the CEO of MSD, demonstrated the effectiveness of steaming against all kinds of weeds to all of the 100 visitors. Present research results were introduced which confirm the positive effects of hot steam.

MSD was the only privately owned company which was invited by the university and its associated Agroscope-Institute to present their products and methods.

The production of environmental friendly paint strictly requires hygiene in order to guarantee high product quality. One of the leading producers of special paints in Germany, the company Schulz GmbH located in the province Rhineland Palatinate, has discovered steam as means for sterilization in order to disinfect storage tanks after the production of organic paint. In particular, tanks need to be freed from bacteria of the family Pseudomonas.

In the mid of July 2010 first steaming tests took place under the supervision of the company Thor GmbH located in Speyer. A steam generator manufactured by MSD with an output of 220 kg / h was used. Steam was induced into the tanks through a special pipe system. The tanks, having a volume of a bout ~8m³, were steamed for about half an hour. Steam was induced through customized injectors at the bottom of the tanks. Condensate ran off through outflow ports at the bottom.

The results were confirmed last week by the company Thor. Steaming lead to complete decontamination of storage tanks. After steaming no bacteria could be found. After the successful tests, the paint producer considers the installation of a stationary steaming system for their operations.

One of the most beautiful and famous gardens in Germany uses steam as a comprehensive means to control weeds. The so-called dahlia hill was treated sucessfully with steam after other means of weed control had become ineffective and too costly.

In June 2010 Isle Mainau asked the company mobildampf.de to gradually steam flowerbeds of altogether 2000 m² via sheet steaming.

Within just 3 days and after about 50 operating hours the area was sterilized using 2 steam boilers. Among was one steam boiler type S2000 produced by MSD / Durbach with an output of 2000kg steam/h. The beds were steamed down to 30 cm depth reaching a temperature of 85°C.
Within the upcoming years weed pressure on the dahlia hill has been effectively resolved.

Success in horticulture requires perfect control of quality, operating cost, crop and output.

In cooperation with Bärtschi‐FOBRO AG (Switzerland), MSD Ltd. from Durbach (Germany) has mastered the task to develop and build a machine which allows a rational 24 hour operation without staff to steam large beets efficiently.

In particular wholesalers increase pressure on vegetable growers to sanitize soil without chemicals. The arugula incident in 2009 where poisonous ragwort was found in salat packs has further increased pressure.

Steaming Mobile - Full Automat in operation on field

1. Video Youtube: Open field operation of the steaming robot
2. Video Youtube: First test of the steaming robot in Februray 2010

Steaming is one of the few suitable methods that are able to meet all requirements. Furthermore a high level of automation could be reached with MSD-Fobro Steaming Robot A600‐12.
The first two fully automatic steaming robots could be handed over after several months of challenging development work.

On the occasion of the IPM 2010 in Essen the steaming robot was introduced to the public for the very first time. The machine was awarded with the Indega innovation award for technical advancement. The price was awarded since the innovation provides a solution for vegetable growers to efficiently control weed pressure and diseases in beets.