X-Steam-inator Agricultural Products signed a memorandum of understanding with Honey Bee Manufacturing to build an implement that uses steam to kill weeds.
Kevin Hursh works with X-Steam-inator and he said it made sense to align with a Saskatchewan-based manufacturer instead of setting up a new plant.
“It’s actually a lot of component parts that need to be put together on a cart, and then we need serviceable booms,” Hursh said.
“Honey Bee will help us design the cart that will hold all of the component parts and also work on the design of the boom to follow the ground.”
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In return, Honey Bee will get the rights to manufacture the product as long as it wants.
The X-Steam-inator generates high temperature steam for non-selective weed control and will be able to spray between crop rows once fully developed.
The weed killer is still under development, but Hursh said they plan to test three prototypes out in the field this spring and summer, including by independent parties.
Production of the X-Steam-inator will likely begin at the end of 2021, to have some units available for growers by the spring of 2022.
The X-Steam-inator was first launched at the Farm Progress Show in Regina in 2019.
It used a power-take-off powered generator that supplies electricity to induction heaters, which creates steam of 200 C.
The latest prototype uses a 100-kilowatt generator on a trailer, so that it can be easily moved around for the testing.
However, most of the X-Steam-inators will use p.t.o. to power the induction unit.
For more information on the X-Steam-inator, go to www.xsteaminator.com
