The ragwort problem that occurred in 2009 and 2010 gave us an explicit warning that lack of weed control can endanger the horticulture business. Preventive measures provide effective protection and drastically minimise the risk of crop yield losses. Treatment with steaming is the optimal preventive measure and is also the most environment-friendly solution at the same time!

Treatment with hot steam at 200°C for just five minutes is enough thanks to the newest MSD technology!

For over 100 years, steaming has been successfully used in horticulture and agriculture. Over decades, steaming has proved itself, especially as a plant protection measure against all kinds of weeds. Hot steam completely destroys all weeds and weed seeds contained in the treated soil by mere heat – whether in greenhouses or outdoors. The result is always a completely clean soil that is ideally prepared for growing your plants.

Humid heat trumps all other methods, especially for weed control. It has particular advantages against burning-off. Unlike superheated steam, the dry heat of flame can only have an effect at the surface for a short time. In this case, most of the weeds and weed seeds survive under the ground and will soon sprout again. In contrast, appropriate use of superheated steam ensures a 100% weed-free result.

Depending on your starting situation, you can also expect enormous increase in your crop yield (up to 100% or even more) since hot steam is more than just a natural herbicide. The steam destructs all soil-borne pathogens, from nematodes to bacteria and fungi. Hot steam functions as both pesticide and fungicide. At the same time, the steam releases the blocked nutritive substances, thereby effectively impeding soil exhaustion. Steaming covers all functions in one – and completely without chemicals!

On 19th September 2009 (the 32nd anniversary of the Day of Olericulture), the University of Hohenheim (near Stuttgart, Germany) presented the results of outdoor experiments in the field of weed and weed seed control, particularly in the cultivation of baby-leaf plants.

In the experimental set-up that took place from June to September 2009, three weed control measures were comparatively tested and repeated four times on plots of land of 16m x 1.2 m size. For these tests, two baby-leaf salad types were used: “Batavia red” and “Batavia green”.

The complete experimental surface was divided into 18 plots on which the three methods were compared: weed control with a hand hoe, with herbicide and with soil steaming.

On some of the plots, the soil was first appropriately loosened and then treated with hot steam before sowing. On the other plots, the herbicide was applied only after sowing. On the third group of plots, weeds were manually/mechanically removed with a hoe where needed (i.e. as soon as weeds had budded out). Finally, on the control plots, weeds were not treated at all, neither by steam, chemicals or mechanical/manual intervention.

About four weeks later, the baby-leaf salad was harvested. After the tests (steaming, herbicide, hoe and control plots without weed control measures), the fresh and moisture-free harvest was weighed and the salad leaves and weeds separated.

Basically, scientific research and evaluation of these outdoor tests determined that after applying 90°C water steam, no weeds grew during the time period from sowing until harvesting.

For baby-leaf crops in sufficiently steamed soils, no more weed control is required until harvesting time.

Similar research has also regularly been carried out at other institutions. All of them have come to the same conclusion; steam not only completely eliminates weeds from the soil, but also ensures a greater crop yield.

Modern technologies make steaming profitable. Moreover, the quality and quantity of your products will be visibly improved. The increased crop yield achieved by steaming will cover your investment cost and increase your profit. Your success mainly depends on the selection of the correct steaming system which is optimally tailored to your individual requirements.

We offer the right solution for every size of business – whether steaming hoods or sheet steaming systems for small companies or powerful and fully-automated steaming systems for higher capacity producers.