Re: Research ideas

Stephen Judd (judd@scr.siemens.com)
Fri, 6 Dec 1996 14:27:41 -0500 (EST)

> >
> > Regarding the request for new techno-gizmos for sa:
>
> How about some sort of device to attach on the rear of a combine harvester to
> kill in some way all the weed seeds or lost crop grains that presently pass
out
> as part of the waste? Perhaps a focused laser or gamma particle emitter might
> work or even some sort of small seed separator and bagger.
> Weeds and volunteer crops are major contraints on less intensive, sustainable
> agriculture. If a combine could help clean up a field instead of spreading
> weeds around in it that would be a big help.
>
> Geoff Seavers and Nick Peters
> University of Bristol

Here is the most important first question:
If ALL the seeds could be killed, what would that save the farmer
per hectare in the following season? (i.e. How much will he pay
to have a solution?)
If 90% could be killed, what would he pay?

Is there a chance that a good clean combine in the fall
would eliminate one whole pass of the herbicide sprayer in the spring?
That would be a nice quantifiable savings in chemical, tractor, & labour.

or is it more likely not to eliminate the field pass but
just to cut the amount of chemical applied?

sj

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Dr. J. Stephen Judd email: judd@scr.siemens.com
Siemens Corporate Research, phone: (609) 734-6573
755 College Rd. East, fax: (609) 734-6565
Princeton, NJ, usa 08540 URL: http://www.scn.de/
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