Organic growers now have a new tool to control weeds: abrasive weeding, or “weed blasting,” which uses an air compressor to blast organic grit at weed seedlings during vulnerable growth stages. The method, recently field-tested at the University of Illinois, is surprisingly effective, according to the University. In conjunction with plastic mulch, abrasive weeding reduced final weed biomass by 69 to 97 percent compared to non-weeded control plots. Abrasive weeding involves blasting weed seedlings with tiny fragments of organic grit, using an air compressor. Researchers say blasted grit does not discriminate between weed and crop seedlings, which makes it important to use this method in transplanted crops that are substantially larger than weed seedlings at the time of grit application. Although some visible damage occurred on stems and leaves of both tomato and pepper crops, the damage did not affect marketable fruit yield. Studies are ongoing to determine whether abrasions on crop tissues could result in increased susceptibility to disease, but early results show little effect. An additional benefit of weed blasting is the potential for growers to use organic fertilizers, such as soybean meal, as blasting material. The method is now being tested in different horticultural crops, including broccoli and kale, with and without additional weed control methods.
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