Save the Date: Flame Weeding Workshop Aug. 19

Flame weeder developed by UNL professors Stevan Knezevic and George Gogos.
Figure 1. (L) A four-row prototype flamer built by an IANR research team led by UNL professors Stevan Knezevic and George Gogos and tested in 2011. The researchers hold a patent for flaming equipment. (R) Figure 2. A three-row flamer mounted on an ATV is tested in the field. Tests were conducted in the evening to better observe flame shape as the flame hits the ground. (Photos by IANR Staff)

Save the Date: Flame Weeding Workshop Aug. 19

Propane-fueled flame weeding is used in organic farming and interest in it is increasing among conventional producers due to increased weed resistance to herbicides and the costs of GMO crop seed.

A full-day Flame Weeding Workshop will be held Aug. 19 at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead. University teams led by Stevan Knezevic (Department of Agronomy and Horticulture) and George Gogos (Department of Mechanical Engineering) will present data from seven years of research that resulted in 20 scientific publications, 100 abstracts, and the development of new flaming equipment.

Attendees will learn how to do proper flaming to control over 10 major Midwestern weeds in seven agronomic crops (field corn, sweet corn, popcorn, soybean, sorghum, sunflower, and wheat).

The workshop includes presentations and/or demonstrations on:

  • propane doses for weed control and crop tolerance data;
  • research on winter annual weed control with flaming;
  • four-row commercial type flamers with hoods for broadcast and banded flaming (demonstrations); and
  • inter-row cultivation and intra-row flaming combined in a single operation.

In addition, several local organic farmers will share about their experiences with flame weeding.

The cost is $100 per registration (includes lunch and one Flame Weeding Manual) and $10 for a spouse/guest's meal. Please register online by August 15. Directions to the site, accomodation information, and a video about UNL's flame-weeding research is available at https://agronomy.unl.edu/flame-weeding-workshop.

Partial scholarships may be available to certified organic farmers from Nebraska. For more information contact: Stevan Knezevic, phone 402-584-3808 or sknezevic2@unl.edu.

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