Farmers in Arkansas are experimenting with a weed-control tactic from Australia, called narrow windrow burning, to combat weeds that have developed resistance to herbicides. The scorched-earth technique dramatically reduces the weed seeds that sprout in the spring to challenge row crops, says Farm Journal.
To get rid of the seeds, all of the plant debris that passes through a combine during harvest is funneled into a windrow 30 inches wide. The material is set ablaze, reducing the seeds and plant material to ash. “At first glance, the result is a series of long, black stripes painted over (a soybean field,” says Farm Journ. “In practice, the payoff is a direct assault on the mother lode source of weed seed.”
With the spread of resistant weeds, which reduce yields, farmers have employed methods that range from more frequent application of weed killers, use of different herbicides, crop rotations, mechanical tillage, and hand weeding. University of Arkansas weed scientist Jason Norsworthy observed the technique in western Australia and has tested it in Arkansas with satisfying results. An Arkansas farmer, Harry Stephens, has used the approach on his farm. “We pay attention to anything that reduces pigweed seed,” he told Farm Journal.