RootWave to launch first eWeeder

Warwickshire-based electrical weed control (eWeeding) pioneer RootWave is set to launch its first commercial eWeeder for the horticulture sector via private investment complemented by crowdfunding.

The company’s first tractor-powered machine for orchards and vineyards will be launched next year, with half the machines planned for production already reserved, the firm announced.

eWeeding kills weed and root, providing the systemic control that, prior to now, only herbicides could provide. The company reported that in trials last year – RootWave outperformed herbicides in every scenario, while using less energy.

CEO Andrew Diprose said: “eWeeding is the only non-chemical method that kills weed and root without disturbing the soil. Excitingly for farmers, not only are we seeing it outperform chemical herbicides on control in our trials, with far lower energy use RootWave will save farmers money too.

“Furthermore, RootWave’s electrical weed control products will prevent the use of 30,000,000,000 litres of herbicide by 2035, as well as 1,500,000 tonnes of plastic, 22,000,000 GJ of energy and allow farmers to sequester 20,000,000 tonnes of carbon.”

The company has already launched the award-winning handheld eWeeder RootWave Pro and the product has generated over £2m in revenue to date. The company says that Q2 2023 is set to be a record sales quarter for the product.

Following the launch of the eWeeder for orchards and vineyards which uses the company’s patented higher frequency waveform technology, RootWave has its sights firmly set on arable row-crops, a US$68bn market in Europe and North America alone.

Diprose added: “Trial data in arable row-crops was exceptional, outperforming herbicides in every metric. RootWave provides an exciting option for those who want to see our food produced with fewer chemical inputs, and for farmers who want systemic control of weeds with expanded treatment windows and without worrying about the regulatory or resistance issues associated with chemical herbicides.

“By opening crowdfunding, both these groups can help accelerate our growth, while taking a stake in our future success – it is an exciting proposition.”

Crowdfunding is set to open in July, with early access available for interested parties via rootwave.com/invest-in-rootwave/

RootWave kills weeds using electricity to give better weed control at a lower cost whilst protecting health and helping nature restore its soils, water and biodiversity. RootWave develops electrical weed control products, including a handheld weeder and implements for tractors and municipality vehicles.