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Feb. 21, 2025
Source: Propane Education & Research Council RICHMOND, VA - The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is excited to announce a powerful, eco-friendly solution for soil disinfection with the revolutionary propane-powered soil steamer. This groundbreaking technology is designed to address one of farmers' biggest challenges in modern agriculture: how to effectively eliminate weeds, soilborne pathogens, and nematodes without relying on chemical pesticides. The soil steamer's banded steam design targets the top one-to-two inches of soil, the critical zone where weed seeds germinate, providing an 80 percent weed control rate for both conventional and organic crops. The innovative propane-powered system cuts weeding labor costs in half, increases yields, and reduces the dependency on harmful fumigants and herbicides. "Steaming has long been a proven method for soil disinfection, but it has traditionally been too costly and time-consuming for large-scale operations," said Michael Newland, director of agriculture business development at PERC. "The propane-powered soil steamer changes that by making soil steaming commercially viable and sustainable, helping farmers grow healthier food while cutting costs." The soil steamer offers a host of advantages for agricultural producers, including: Increased Yield and Profitability: By controlling disease pressure, the soil steamer increases the size of crops such as lettuce and carrots and enables shorter crop rotation intervals, allowing for more frequent planting of high-value fruits and vegetables. Environmental Sustainability: Farmers can significantly reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides, protecting soil health and meeting organic certification standards. Labor Efficiency: The technology provides a 73 percent reduction in weeding time compared to traditional herbicides, offering substantial labor savings. Recent studies demonstrate that the propane-powered soil steamer manages 90 to 95 percent of annual weeds, such as purslane and pigweed, and controls major soilborne diseases, including fusarium, pythium, and verticillium. When used for lettuce cultivation, it has been shown to increase yield by 25 percent in fields affected by lettuce drop. With the ability to begin planting crops mere hours after treatment, the soil steamer offers unprecedented efficiency and flexibility for farmers looking to maximize their growing seasons. To discover how the propane-powered soil steamer can transform your agricultural operations, visit propane.com/soilsteamer. About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more infor Tweet |
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