Spudman March 2023 - 12

Going ballistic:
Alternative weed management
with projectile abrasives
A low-cost, nontoxic way to eliminate broadleaf weeds
The sandblasting technique is most effective on broadleaf weeds and uses different grit sizes from natural materials.
Photos: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
By Matt Hannon
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
12
ndrew McKenzie-Gopsill can't
help but admit that he had a
blast conducting the latest trial
of his experimental alternative pest
management device: a sandblaster.
" I'd never sandblasted before, so yeah,
it was quite fun, " he said.
Potentially one of the next
available options in nontoxic weed
management, McKenzie-Gopsill,
Spudman * March 2023
an Agriculture and Agri-Foods
Canada (AAFC) research scientist
at the Charlottetown Research and
Development Center on Prince Edward
Island, is testing how effective it can
be to decimate problem weeds with a
deluge of walnut shells and corn cob
particles. So far the results have been
very promising, he said.
" Small broadleaf weeds were totally
eliminated, " McKenzie-Gopsill said.
" Larger broadleaf weeds were severely
stunted and basically stopped growing. "
If successful, the sandblasting
technique - a subcategory of pest
management called projectile, or ballistic,
weed management - would be one of
the most eco-friendly and sustainable
weed prevention methods available.
Funded through AAFC, McKenzieGopsill's
project is part of a twoyear
program to fund alternative
pest management projects that can
immediately help farmers control
invasive species. A handful of farms in
Canada are testing the sandblasting

Spudman March 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spudman March 2023

Spudman March 2023 - 1
Spudman March 2023 - 1A
Spudman March 2023 - 2A
Spudman March 2023 - 2
Spudman March 2023 - 3
Spudman March 2023 - 4
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