![Decades of research and development on the Harrington seed destructor has led to this year's commercial release of a harvester-integrated version for select models. Photo courtesy Australian Herbicide Resistance Institute. Decades of research and development on the Harrington seed destructor has led to this year's commercial release of a harvester-integrated version for select models. Photo courtesy Australian Herbicide Resistance Institute.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-agfeed/2157107.jpg/r0_0_5184_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Two decades of research and development into destroying weed seed has taken a giant step forward with the release of a harvester integrated version of the Harrington seed destructor.
Subscribe now for unlimited access to all our agricultural news
across the nation
or signup to continue reading
An licence to develop and commercialise an on-harvester version of the machine has been awarded to South Australian company, de Bruin Engineering.
Available since 2012 in a trailed format, the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor is the result of research and development by the University of SA with Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) funding.
Design and testing of the concept also involved collaboration with the concept originator, WA farmer, Ray Harrington, and Australian Herbicide Resistance Institute (AHRI) researchers.
The machine intercepts the harvester chaff stream feeding it into a high speed cage mill pulverising any seeds.
Destroying weed seeds helps reduce herbicide resistant weed strains and delay or eliminate herbicide resistant weed strains allowing emergent weeds to be more effectively targeted.
In-harvest testing of the iHSD over the past two years delivered results warranting commercialisation.
The iHSD unit draws about 50 kilowatts (80 hp) and the idea is to run a Class 9 harvester at Class 8 capacity.
Mr Harrington has had a iHSD on a Class 9 harvester and another on a Class 8 model for the past two harvests with both performing extremely well.
The Class 9 ran at 97 per cent capacity and the Class 8 at 101pc, according AHRI.
Just 10 iHSD’s will be manufactured and fitted to select Case-IH and New Holland headers this year to further prove the concept.
Sales and support will be through McIntosh and Sons with the dealer now fielding enquiry for 2017.
de Bruin Engineering will also develop the iHSD to make it available to the maximum number of growers.
Company managing director, Scott de Bruin, said the focus is to field prove the performance and expand the range to other harvesters.
“Our role is to take them from a prototype to a commercially available package.
“Through the ongoing research with AHRI, and the University of SA, it has proven how effective it is in the field at destroying the weed seed or rendering it unviable for germination,” he said.
“Anyone involved in farming knows the problems we are having with herbicide resistant ryegrass, wild oats and brome, so to have another method to help us deal with, and reduce the weed seed bank, is very exciting,” he said.
GRDC deputy chair Kim Halbert said “weeds are one of the greatest constraints to grower profitability costing the industry $3 billion every year, and the weed destructor technology is an important part of our integrated weed management response.”