Electrifying Weed Control: Canada’s Weed Zapper Research Powers a Chemical-Free Future for Crops

There’s something on Prince Edward Island that’s destroying weeds in a flash! It’s called the Weed Zapper, and it can give farmers the ability to safely harness the power of electricity to kill weeds.

Even though Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) biologist Nicolle MacDonald first learned about such technology about 5 years ago, the concept of using electricity to destroy weeds dates back as early as the late 1800’s. The first electric weed control equipment was developed in the 1970’s for controlling bolting beets within sugar beets.

Nicolle works at the AAFC Charlottetown Research and Development Centre on Prince Edward Island but is one of several biologists working across the country under AAFC’s Pest Management Centre (PMC), headquartered in Ottawa. Nicolle works for the PMC’s Pesticide Risk Reduction program whose role is to focus on developing and implementing reduced risk solutions for pest management issues, including alternative pest management tools and practices.

Nicolle MacDonald, Biologist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada:

"More commonly adopted in South America and the United States, electric weeding tools like the Weed Zapper has picked up interest with Canadian producers in the last 5 to 10 years due to rising herbicide resistance and the greater need for alternative weed control solutions."

Weed zapping wattage

Electric weeders, like the Weed Zapper, are like small power stations on wheels. A large power generator attaches to a conventional tractor while a wire connects the generator to a large height adjustable copper pipe mounted at the front of the tractor that can span 11 to 15 feet wide. Everything is controlled from the inside of the tractor making it safe and easy for farmers to use.

As the tractor moves through the fields, the tops of the weeds brush against the copper pipe—or even just come close—causing electricity to surge through and electrocute them. Within minutes, the weeds begin to wilt, and within hours, they turn black as they continue to die. Electric weeding works best on plants that still contain moisture, meaning they are not fully mature or dried out. Running the zapper earlier in the day also helps reduce fire risk and improves conductivity, damaging the weed’s tissue from the inside out.

The Weed Zapper is equipped with multiple sensors on the boom and generator to ensure the safety of both the operator and the equipment. Despite these safety features and an onboard fire extinguisher, it should not be used in extremely dry fields. Local burn bans must be checked before operation, and safety instructions in the manual should always be followed. Strict precautionary measures must be taken whenever the equipment is in use or undergoing maintenance.

The Weed Zapper at AAFC has a large generator that attaches to a tractor. A wire connects the generator to a large copper pipe at the front of the tractor to zap weeds that it encounters.

An electrifying herbicide alternative for horticulture producers

In November 2024, the Pest Management Centre purchased a Weed Zapper to test at the AAFC Harrington Research Farm on Prince Edward Island. Now, Nicolle started a 2-year research project with local AAFC weed scientist Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill to target weeds that grow above the crop canopy in horticulture crops such as low-bush blueberries, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, and beans.

Nicolle MacDonald:

"We want to see how electric weeding affects the biomass of weeds once they are hit and to see whether it destroys the weed seeds, as this could reduce the spread of weeds in future growing seasons. We’re also planning to calculate the cost benefit of using electric weeding compared to conventional herbicide use."

Potential crop damage will also be evaluated as well as determining the ideal settings and timing where producers can get the most bang for their buck.

Electric weeding technology is versatile, and Nicolle explains it can be used in other ways, such as to destroy weeds that are emerging in the spring before farmers plant their main crops, or to kill the potato canopy, a normal practice for easier harvesting, without use of chemicals.

Not all testing and research with the Weed Zapper is happening at the AAFC Harrington Research Farm. Nicolle is working with local farmers to test it in fields of cover crops, potatoes, and lowbush blueberries. She's already receiving calls from other producers who saw it across the Island and want to test it.

Nicolle MacDonald:

"We're interested in scientific research and development, but we also want to get innovative tools, like the Weed Zapper, out to growers so they can see how it works and the benefits of adding it into an integrated pest management system. That’s where we’ll see an increase in adoption."

Key benefits and discoveries

• Prince Edward Island-based biologist Nicolle MacDonald is researching electric weeding as an alternative weed control tool through the Pest Management Centre’s Pesticide Risk Reduction program. The program’s role is to focus on developing and implementing reduced risk solutions for pest management issues, including alternative pest management tools and practices.
• Their electric weed control unit, the Weed Zapper is a large generator that attaches to a conventional tractor while a wire connects the generator to a large copper pipe at the front of the tractor.
• As the tractor drives through the fields, the tops of the weeds brush against the copper pipe – or even just come close – electricity will surge through and effectively electrocute them. Within minutes, the electrocuted weeds will begin to wilt. In a few hours, the weeds will turn black as they continue to die.
• Nicolle started a 2-year research project with the Weed Zapper and Prince Edward Island farmers to target weeds that grow above the crop canopy in horticulture crops such as low-bush blueberries, potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, and beans.
• The objective is to see how the Weed Zapper affects the biomass of weeds once they are hit and whether it destroys the weed seeds that could reduce the spread of weeds in future growing seasons. A cost benefit analysis will be calculated comparing the electric weeding to conventional herbicide-use.