URBANA, Ill. — Farmers battling herbicide resistant weeds could add a new weapon to their arsenal, but it’s not a chemical. The Harrington Seed Destructor destroys this year’s weed seeds during harvest, preventing establishment in the spring. Farmers can see it in action Oct. 12 at the University of Illinois.

“I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical about whether the HSD would work on waterhemp, but using it during last year’s harvest reduced waterhemp populations in this year’s crops,” says Adam Davis, ecologist in the Department of Crop Sciences and with the USDA Agricultural Research Service.

The field tour will begin at 1 p.m. at the Crop Sciences South First Street Facility at 4202 South 1st Street in Savoy. The tour will also include visits to two nearby field sites.

Attendees are not required to register, and all are welcome. For more information on the Harrington Seed Destructor, visit http://go.illinois.edu/hsd, or contact Taylor Stewart at 217-300-6299 or taylors@illinois.edu.

—  Lauren Quinn, University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

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