Prospects for the use of fire cultivation in weeds destruction

Abstract

The problem of weed control in modern agriculture is considered. Fire weeding is presented as a promising alternative to herbicide-based methods. An overview is given of the harmful effects of chemicals, including their cumulative effects, adverse effects on beekeeping and animal husbandry, and potential human health risks associated with pesticide residues in food. The advantages of using diffusion-type burners in comparison with injection-type burners for fire weeding are substantiated. The prospect of their use was noted due to safety of application, simplicity of construction and ability to provide uniform heat distribution along the entire length of the fuel combustion flame. The factors affecting the economic efficiency of each method are discussed in detail, including fuel cost, amount of resources needed, labor costs, etc. Special attention is paid to the comparison of the cost of treatment of a unit area using complexes of gas burners and chemical preparations, taking into account the price and availability of both gas fuel and herbicides in specific conditions of the Russian Federation. The comparison presented in this article shows significant economic advantages of fire weeding over the use of herbicides. A generalized conclusion on the great potential of the fire weeding method using diffusion-type burners to reduce the pesticide load on agricultural lands and adjacent territories is given. It is also concluded that the quality of weed control treatment is improved due to the effectiveness of the method in controlling herbicide resistant weeds.