Over the past two years a new IWM tool has been tested at three locations in the US as part of the GROW-IWM project. This new tool for the US is the Harrington Seed Destructor.
Three of our Area-wide crew members, Dr. Jason Norsworthy (University of Arkansas), Dr. Steven Mirsky (USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD) and Dr. Adam Davis (USDA-ARS Illinois), have been testing the Harrington Seed Destructor as part of an integrated weed management strategy. The Harrington Seed Destructor pulverizes weeds seeds after they enter the combine and are separated from the straw and harvested grain. Results indicate that eleven out of twelve different weed seed species were 99 % pulverized with the HSD, including Palmer amaranth.
A iHSD prototype, the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD), is being tested in Arkansas. Previous models were a separate unit pulled behind a combine, while the iHSD is a modification of an existing combine.
In the following video Drs. Norsworthy and Barber explain some of the components and attributes of the iHSD. The iHSD will be used as part of their research in the fall of 2018 as well as using it on commercial fields.
Using a harvest time weed seed management strategy is expected to reduce the number of seeds entering the soil seedbank and lowering number of emerging weed seedlings next season.
Credits: University of Arkansas
Edits: Claudio Rubione/ Area Wide GROW-IWM project
