New technology could help manage herbicide resistant weeds

New technology at this year’s Nebraska Ag Expo could help farmers better manage herbicide resistant weeds.

Dave Button with Kansas-based Row Shaver says his products cuts weeds that grow between or above any type of crop similar to a shredder or mower. ″It works very well in tandem with a preemerge program.  The GMO products that we have today are getting weaker and weaker with the herbicide resistance that we’re seeing with the weeds.″  

He tells Brownfield the attachment can be fitted on sprayer, swather, tractor and detasseler and it may take a few passes during the growing season. ″We’re trying to get rid of the seeds that those plants can produce that can cause you problems down the road. If we can continue to get rid of the resistance seeds, we can make our GMO products last a lot, lot longer.″

Button says can be more cost effective than spraying several times. ″If you’re looking at most spray jobs, you’re talking somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 to $60 an acre.  I can operate both engines for about 3 gallons an hour.″

He says the Row Shaver and Row Trimmer can be swapped out with a sprayer boom in less than an hour.