Sending shockwaves through the soil
UK company RootWave uses electricity to kill weeds without using chemical herbicides.
RootWave’s technology uses electricity to boil weeds down to the root, including invasive species that are often difficult to remove from the soil. You touch a weed with the zapping device and let the electricity flow, resistance turning it into heat – boiling the nasty weed from inside out, from the root upwards. RootWave useshigh frequencies technology which minimizes the risk of accidental electrical shock for operators, bystanders and nearby plants. The technology can be powered by renewable energy such as solar and wind. The use of electricity to kill weeds means that the soil is left undisrupted, which reduces soil erosion and creates healthy soils that capture carbon. RootWave’s weed-zapping technology is sustainable, regenerative, and available at a cost comparable to that of using herbicide. The technology has been integrated into autonomous weeding robots and large-scale farm machinery as well as hand-held devices for gardens.