UNL Extension will be hosting an indepth workshop and demonstration on how to use flame weeding to manage weeds this Thursday, Aug. 14. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UNL Haskell Agricultural Laboratory near Concord.

Propane-fueled flame weeding is an acceptable method of weed control in organic farming and is gaining interest among conventinoal producers due to increased weed resistance and costs of GMO crop seeds, said Stevan Knezevic, UNL Extension weeds specialist.

Presenters will teach proper flame weeding methods to control over 10 major Midwestern weeds in seven agronomic crops (field corn, sweet corn, popcorn, soybean, sorghum, sunflower, and wheat). Propane doses for weed control and crop tolerance data will be covered and a flame weeding manual will be provided. Results from more than seven years of research conducted by Knezevic and George Gogos of the UNL Department of Mechanical Engineering also will be presented. Their research has been published in 20 scientific publications and at many regional, national, and international meeting. Their work also was documented in a patent for flaming equipment.

Demonstrations will include four- and eight-row commercial type flamers with patented hoods for broadcast and banded flaming. Inter-row cultivation and intra-row flaming combined in a single operation also will be demonstrated.

Several organic farmers who use flame weeding in their production systems will share their experiences.

Registration and Information

The workshop is limited to 30 people. Cost is $100 and includes lunch. Partial scholarships are available to certified organic farmers from Nebraska. For more information and reigstration contact Wendy Winstead, 402-584-3837, wwinstead2@unl.edu