Effects of application parameters on the effectiveness of electrocution in controlling herbicide-resistant biotypes, and its potential use as a tool for integrated and sustainable weed management

• Grant number: 25/05806-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Rafael Munhoz Pedroso
• Grantee: Felipe Avelino Renovato
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Weed control in agricultural fields is essential for achieving necessary increases in productivity, but the emergence of herbicide-resistant biotypes poses a significant threat to global production. The search for alternative management tools that are effective in controlling these weeds and provide farmers with the opportunity to diversify their management programs is crucial, given the loss of efficiency of some major herbicides on the market. This study aims to evaluate, for the first time, the impact of different soil types, the contact time between weeds and the electrodes of equipment, and the voltage applied on the effectiveness of electrical weeding/electrocution for controlling problematic weed species in Brazil: goosegrass (Eleusine indica), horseweed (Conyza spp.), sourgrass (Digitaria insularis), which are resistant to multiple herbicides, and dayflower (Commelina benghalensis) and buttonweed (Borreria latifolia), which are tolerant to glyphosate. This phase of the project will be conducted both in controlled environments and in the field, using the Eletroherb EH30 and IZI equipment, the latter for manual electrical weeding. Additionally, the potential of electrocution will be evaluated both alone and in combination with other weed control tools, aiming for sustainable production, through the utilization of long-term field trials using tractor-mounted equipment (Eletroherb EH30). The efficacy of weed control with different combinations of electrocution and herbicides will be assessed in a system involving cover crops or fallow areas. Summer crop productivity (soybean) will also be evaluated to infer the economic return on investment. This research will determine (i) the effect of various application parameters on electrocution effectiveness and ways to improve it; (ii) the cost of controlling different weed species with different technologies and the resulting productivity; (iii) the amount of energy required for control and the carbon emitted in each system based on fuel consumption, productivity, and organic matter accumulation in the soil; (iv) the risk of herbicide resistance development over time; (v) the impact of electrical control on improving the sustainability of production systems. Since herbicides make up the largest share of agrochemicals sold in the country, the results may help reduce the amount of herbicides applied to the environment through integration with electrical tools.