Abstract

Current weed-control practices might not be sustainable because of the increased incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds and the limited effectiveness of organic weed-control techniques. A cryogenic weed-control system was developed to improve weed control in row crops without the input of synthetic or organic pesticides. The cryogenic system applies liquid nitrogen to target weeds through a modified sprayer and then crushes the weeds with a ballasted mechanical roller. Greenhouse studies were initially performed to validate the biological impact of directed liquid nitrogen and mechanical pressure on large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis L. Scop). Field studies were performed to evaluate the effects of the liquid nitrogen volume, spray nozzle height, and mechanical roller pressure on pitted morningglory (Ipomoea lacunosa L.) control. This weed was most effectively controlled with 9360 l/ha of liquid nitrogen applied with a nozzle raised 30 cm above the soil surface, followed by 41 kPa of pressure with the mechanical roller. The concept of cryogenic weed control was validated in a field experiment using mostly standard farm equipment. This cryogenic system provides a successful prototype for future designs utilizing liquid nitrogen for weed control.

References

1.
Ross
,
M. A.
and
Lembi
,
C. A.
,
Applied Weed Science
, 2nd ed.,
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
,
Upper Saddle River, NJ
,
1999
.
2.
Oerke
,
E. C.
, “
Crop Losses to Pests
,”
J. Agric. Sci.
, Vol.
44
,
2006
, pp.
31
43
. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859605005708
3.
Weston
,
L. A.
and
Duke
,
S. O.
, “
Weeds and Allelopathy
,”
Crit. Rev. Plant Sci.
, Vol.
22
(
3–4
),
2003
, pp.
367
389
. https://doi.org/10.1080/713610861
4.
Pimentel
,
D.
,
Hepperly
,
P.
,
Hanson
,
J.
,
Douds
,
D.
, and
Seidel
,
R.
, “
Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Comparisons of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems
,”
BioScience
, Vol.
55
(
7
),
2005
, pp.
573
582
. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0573:EEAECO]2.0.CO;2
5.
Heap
,
I. M.
,
2012
, “
The International Survey of Herbicide-resistant Weeds
,” http://www.weedscience.org/in.asp (Last accessed 15 Aug
2012
).
6.
Palumbi
,
S. R.
, “
Humans are the World's Greatest Evolutionary Force
,”
Science
, Vol.
293
,
2001
, pp.
786
790
. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.293.5536.1786
7.
Penfold
,
C. M.
,
Miyan
,
M. S.
,
Reeves
,
T. G.
, and
Grierson
,
I. T.
, “
Biological Farming for Sustainable Agricultural Production
,”
Aust. J. Exp. Agric.
, Vol.
35
,
1995
, pp.
849
856
. https://doi.org/10.1071/EA9950849
8.
Stonehouse
,
D. P.
,
Weise
,
S. F.
,
Sheardown
,
T.
,
Gill
,
R. S.
, and
Swanton
,
C. J.
, “
A Case Study Approach to Comparing Weed Management Strategies Under Alternative Farming Systems
,”
Can. J. Agric. Econ.,
Vol.
44
,
1996
, pp.
81
99
. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.1996.tb00144.x
9.
Clark
,
M. S.
,
Ferris
,
H.
,
Klonsky
,
K.
,
Lanini
,
W. T.
,
Van Bruggen
,
A. H. C.
, and
Zalom
,
F. G.
, “
Agronomic, Economic and Environmental Comparison of Pest Management in Conventional and Alternative Tomato and Corn Systems in Northern California
,”
Agric. Ecosystems Environ.
, Vol.
68
,
1998
, pp.
51
71
.
10.
Thermoweed
,
2010
, “
Environmental Weed Control
,” www.thermoweed.co.uk/organic_weed_control.htm (Last accessed 1 Jan
2012
).
11.
Ascard
,
J.
, “
Comparison of Flaming and Infrared Radiation Techniques for Thermal Weed Control
,”
Weed Res.
, Vol.
38
,
1998
, pp.
69
76
. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3180.1998.00073.x
12.
Sartorato
,
I.
,
Zanin
,
G.
,
Baldoin
,
C.
, and
De Zanche
,
C.
, “
Observations on the Potential of Microwaves for Weed Control
,”
Weed Res.
, Vol.
46
,
2006
, pp.
1
9
. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3180.2006.00484.x
13.
Vischetti
,
C.
and
Esposito
,
A.
, “
Degradation and Transformation of a Potential Natural Herbicide in Three Soils
,”
J. Agric. Food Chem.
, Vol.
47
,
1999
, pp.
3901
3904
. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf981306g
14.
Louda
,
S. M.
,
Kendall
,
D.
,
Connor
,
J.
, and
Simberloff
,
D.
, “
Ecological Effects of an Insect Introduced for the Biological Control of Weeds
,”
Science
, Vol.
277
,
1997
, pp.
1088
1090
. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.277.5329.1088
15.
Steponokus
,
P. L.
, “
Role of the Plasma Membrane in Freezing Injury and Cold Application
,”
Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol.
, Vol.
35
,
1984
, pp.
543
584
. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.pp.35.060184.002551
16.
Fergedal
,
S.
, “
Weed Control by Freezing With Liquid Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide Snow—A Comparison between Flaming and Freezing
,” Report No. 165,
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Swedish University of Agricultural Science
, Alnarp, Sweden,
1993
.
17.
Larson
,
S.
, “
Environmental Impact Assessment of Thermal Weed Control Methods on Hard Surfaces—A Comparison between Flaming With LPG and Freezing With Liquid Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide Snow
,” Report No. 168,
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Swedish University of Agriculture
, Alnarp, Sweden,
1993
.
18.
Rask
,
A. M.
and
Kristofferson
,
P.
, “
A Review on Non-chemical Weed Control on Hard Surface
,”
Weed Res.
, Vol.
47
,
2007
, pp.
370
380
. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3180.2007.00579.x
19.
Sakai
,
A.
and
Larcher
,
W.
,
Frost Survival of Plants. Responses and Adaptation to Freezing Stress
,
Springer
,
Berlin
,
1987
, pp.
39
172
.
20.
Tilman
,
D.
,
Cassman
,
K. G.
,
Matson
,
P. A.
,
Naylor
,
R.
, and
Polasky
,
S.
, “
Agricultural Sustainability and Intensive Production Practices
,”
Nature
, Vol.
418
,
2002
, pp.
671
677
. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01014
21.
Waggoner
,
P. E.
, “
How Much Land Can Ten Billion People Spare for Nature? Does Technology Make a Difference?
Technol. Soc.
, Vol.
17
,
1995
, pp.
17
34
. https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-791X(94)00024-8
22.
Plunkett
,
D. L.
, “
International Agricultural Research for the Next Century
,”
BioScience
, Vol.
43
,
1993
, pp.
432
440
. https://doi.org/10.2307/1311902
23.
Aguiliar
,
G.
,
Majaron
,
B.
,
Verkruysse
,
W.
,
Zhou
,
Y.
,
Nelson
,
J. S.
, and
Lavernia
,
E. J.
, “
Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of Droplet Diameter, Temperature, and Evaporation Rate Evolution in Cryogenic Sprays
,”
Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer
, Vol.
44
, pp.
3201
3211
. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0017-9310(00)00363-X
24.
Wolf
,
T. M.
, “
Low-drift Nozzle Efficacy With Respect to Herbicide Mode of Action
,”
Aspects of Applied Biology
, Vol.
57
,
2000
, pp.
29
34
.
25.
Thomas
,
J. M.
,
1993
, “
Impressions from the 4th International IFOAM Conference on Non- chemical Weed Control
,”
Session VI—Plant Protection in Sustainable Agriculture, International Conference on Kyusei Nature Farming
, http://www.infrc.or.jp/english/KNF_Data_Base_Web/PDF%20KNF%20Conf%20Data/C4-6-131.pdf (Last accessed 10 Aug
2012
).
26.
Jitsuyama
,
Y.
and
Ichikawa
,
S.
, “
Possible Weed Establishment Control by Applying Cryogens to Fields Before Snow Fields
,”
Weed Technol.
, Vol.
25
,
2011
, pp.
454
458
. https://doi.org/10.1614/WT-D-09-00073.1
27.
Mazur
,
P.
, “
Freezing of Living Cells: Mechanisms and Applications
,”
Am. J. Physiol.: Cell Physiol.
, Vol.
247
,
1984
, pp.
125
142
.
28.
Cassman
,
K. G.
, “
Ecological Intensification of Cereal Production Systems; Yield Potential, Soil Quality, and Precision Agriculture
,”
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
, Vol.
96
,
1999
, pp.
5952
5959
. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.96.11.5952
29.
DeVries
,
J.
and
Toenniessen
,
G.
,
Securing the Harvest: Biotechnology, Breeding, and Seed Systems for African Crops
,
CAB International
,
Wallingford, UK
,
2001
.
30.
DeFries
,
R.
and
Rosenzweig
,
C.
, “
Toward a Whole-landscape Approach for Sustainable Land Use in the Tropics
,”
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
, Vol.
107
,
2010
, pp.
19627
19632
. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011163107
31.
Tillman
,
D.
, “
Forecasting Agriculturally Driven Global Environmental Change
,”
Science
, Vol.
292
,
2001
, pp.
281
284
. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1057544
32.
Shortle
,
J. S.
and
Horan
,
R. D.
, “
The Economics of Nonpoint Pollution Control
,”
J. Econ. Surv.
, Vol. 11,
2001
, pp.
571
585
.
33.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
, Agricultural Policies in OECD Countries: Monitoring and Evaluation, http://www.oecd.org/tad/agricultural-policies/agriculturalpolicymonitoringandevaluation2012oecdcountries.htm (last accessed 15 Aug
2012
).
This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.