Since there are no currently active contests, we have switched Climate CoLab to read-only mode.
Learn more at https://climatecolab.org/page/readonly.
Skip navigation
Share via:

Pitch

Destruction of weeds (seeds) by microwave radiation. Reducing the use of herbicides.


Description

Summary

Reduction of the use of herbicides, insecticides in the agrarian industry. Soil sterilization (seeds, insects, etc.), the destruction of weeds (seeds) before sowing of agricultural crops and after harvesting.

Controlling weed growth in rail tracks and its vicinity is a crucial safety procedure that involves highly precise and advanced engineering work.
Weeding operations are commonly performed by traveling the railways in a train or truck, spraying the weeds with herbicides. This is typically performed twice a year, during the period between April and July – the growing season and the time of the year when climate conditions are favorable. The reason why the operation needs to be performed twice is the insufficient efficacy of the sprayed herbicide. 
Figure  is a schematic of a typical railway and its surrounding area, subject to the intervention.
The scale of these operations is rather large.


Proposals

Protection of the environment, protection of nature. Geoengineering. 


What actions do you propose?

New Methods for Weed Control in Railways

For the destruction of weeds on jelly roads, I propose to use an electrical appliance in the lower part of railway wagons (railway platforms), using the phenomenon of heating up water-containing substances by electromagnetic radiation of the decimeter range, in which a microwave radiator-magnetron is installed. 

The concept of the process of destruction of weed plants occurs on the principle of dielectric heating of materials containing polar molecules.

The energy of electromagnetic (superhigh-frequency microwave radiation) vibrations causes the motion of molecules with a dipole moment under the action of the electric field component, and intermolecular friction leads to an increase in the temperature of the material.

During the movement of railroad cars by rail on which weeds grow, it is necessary to switch on the microwave device located on the bottom of the cars and direct microwave radiation to the surface of the road, which must be cleaned of weeds.

Microwave radiation entering into weed plants will instantly warm water in the stem of the plant, which will cause the weed to die from the high temperature inside the plant and perform biological sterilization of the railroad surface from plants and their seeds.

The depth of penetration of microwave radio waves into the heated object (weed stem) should be calculated depending on the thickness of the trunk of the weed plant (the lower the frequency - the greater the depth of penetration into the weed stem).

Applying this type of concept for the destruction of microwave plants by undesirable waves of weeds on the railway, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of herbicides or completely abandon herbicides in most sections of the railways. 


Who will take these actions and which types of actors are involved?

Ukraine, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, China and the developing countries.


Where will these actions be taken and how could they scale?

Ukraine, the United States, Canada, the European Union, Australia, China and the developing countries.


In addition, specify the countries where these actions will be taken.

Ukraine


Country 2

No country selected


Country 3

No country selected


Country 4

No country selected


Country 5

No country selected


Impact/Benefits:


What impact will these actions have on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and/or adapting to climate change?

Keep electricity in the production of dangerous poisons (energy consumption of factories and factories producing pesticides and herbicides) and intellectual resources of scientific laboratories developing the latest formulas of pesticides and herbicides.Use energy to directly affect the soil to kill weeds (weed seeds). Plants-weeds and insects will always adapt to the newest types of pesticides and herbicides (gene adaptation, the basic condition for the survival of living organisms).


What are the most innovative aspects and main strengths of this approach?

Applying this type of concept for the destruction of microwave plants by undesirable waves of weeds on the railway, it is possible to significantly reduce the amount of herbicides or completely abandon herbicides in most sections of the railways. 

Reduction of the use of herbicides, insecticides in the agrarian industry. Soil sterilization (seeds, insects, etc.), the destruction of weeds (seeds) before sowing of agricultural crops and after harvesting.


Costs/Challenges:


What are the proposal’s projected costs?


About the Authors

Kovalevich Olga Valerievna,
Co-author: Kovalevich Maxim Alekseevich

Ukraine
city ??of Krivoy Rog


References

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn   


What enabling environment would be required in order to implement this proposal?