A new WSSA committee is making headway to promote emerging technologies in agriculture

The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) continues to innovate in its quest to find optimal ways to manage weeds. An upcoming event on weed electrocution is one initiative, among several others, that WSSA and its committee on Targeted and Autonomous Weed Control Technology are promoting to support emerging technologies in agriculture.

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Ryan Hamberg, a WSSA-member scientist will moderate a Farmer Forum on Weed Electrocution in the Field webinar, hosted by GROW (Getting Rid of Weeds) at 11 a.m. Eastern Time. According to GROW, "The forum's farmer panel and moderator will explore how electrical weed control units fit into a weed management program."

New weed electrocution technologies show great potential to help farmers across North America to overcome herbicide resistance by providing another option that complements and/or reduces chemical use, says Hamberg, who is a Texas A&M University graduate research assistant in agronomy. "We are testing a first-of-its-kind inter-row electrical weeder in annual row crops, and the results are promising," he says. "Our preliminary results suggest that just one pass of inter-row electrical weeding is as effective as using a cultivator for inter-row tillage, with the major advantage of not disturbing the soil."

Growers and researchers interested in this technology should consider attending the GROW Farmer Forum on weed electrocution, suggests Hamberg. "The webinar will feature two innovative growers who have extensive knowledge and experience using electrical weeders on their farms," he says. "As electrical weeders become increasingly common, their potential to become more autonomous is also increasing."

Weed electrocution is just one promising technology that targets problematic weeds for sustainable and efficient control, points out Nathan Boyd, Ph.D., University of Florida horticulture/weed science professor and WSSA's Targeted and Autonomous Weed Control Technology Committee chair. "WSSA has plans to partner with other organizations like GROW to achieve its goals of promoting precision farming and autonomous weed control innovations," he says. "Those plans include providing a symposium on Targeted and Autonomous Weed Control Technologies at the WSSA annual meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, during February 2026."

Other new weed control technologies that are garnering interest include lasers, targeted spraying and targeted cultivation, adds Boyd. "Never in my career have I experienced such rapid growth in novel weed management technologies like we are seeing today," he says. "We are in the midst of a transformation of how weeds are managed, and the discipline of Weed Science will be modified forever."

Greg Dahl, WSSA past president and WSSA board of directors liaison for the Targeted and Autonomous Weed Control Technology Committee, agrees. "We're excited about these promising new weed control technologies, which are very good when used in an integrated weed management program," he says, "We can't rely on herbicides alone to solve every weed problem; it takes all kinds of tools that work together to succeed."

More information about WSSA committees and their initiatives can be found at this link. For more information about integrated weed management and herbicide resistance management innovations and initiatives, visit the GROW Take Action webpage, or the WSSA herbicide resistance webpage.

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) is a nonprofit scientific society founded in 1956 to encourage, promote and develop knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit www.wssa.net.