This is Exhausting

Farmers and growers typically combat weeds with chemical herbicides or manual removal, but those methods can be expensive, harmful to the environment, and labor intensive. ARS researchers in Auburn, AL, prototyped an innovative method to control weed growth by simply using engine exhaust heat.

The process involves a mechanical pusher that uses exhaust heat produced by a walk-behind tractor’s engine. The heat does not burn up the weed, but instead damages the plant tissues within the weed, killing the unwanted vegetation.

* Image courtesy of Getty Images