'Steaming kills 100% of the soil infesting weeds, weed seeds'
Research spanning over several years made at different German research institutes such as the Service Center Rhineland Palatinate or the university of Hohenheim showed that after surfacial steaming down to 5-10 cm depth with 90 degrees in open field cultures such as arugula or baby leaf salads no weeds grew during the whole cultivation period from sowing to harvest. The effect against all kinds of weeds was 100%. Furthermore a beneficial side effects could be impressively revealed: The steamed culture showed a significant head start in growth of about 2-3 weeks and hence higher yield than such cultures which have been treated with herbicides.
For beds the company MSD in Durbach / Germany has constructed special tractor suspension hoods with a total area of up to 20 square meters which are relocated step by step after merely 5 minute steaming time. An even later development is MSD’s steam robot. It uses three steaming hoods made of aluminium and transports steam boiler and oil on it. Fully automatically and without supervision it drives in the track of the tractor. After a steaming process of e.g. 6 min (and hence a steaming depth of about 6 cm) the hoods are being slightly lifted up and the total unit moves forward about one hood length and the steaming process continues.
In accordance to the experience of the vegetable farmer Stegemeier from Bielefeld that uses the machine already for 5 seasons of arugula cultures, 0.5 ha can be steamed within 12 hours. Stegemeier grows 4 cultures of arugula with 2 steaming sessions on the same area in one season.
This modern technology today is made available by MSD. With more than 55 years of experience and 3,000 satisfied customers the company belongs to the leading suppliers of steaming technology and systems worldwide.
Please visit www.moeschle.de for more information about steaming from MSD.
