The effect of microwave soil treatment on rice production under field conditions

Abstract

Interest in chemical-free weed management practices has increased to overcome herbicide resistance in sustainable crop production systems. In this study, we examined microwave (MW) irradiation as an alternative weed management strategy in a direct-seeded rice crop under field conditions. Pre-emergence MW irradiation (2.45 GHz, 600 W, 120 s) of the soil was assigned in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The projection of 560 J cm-2 of MW energy into the soil gave a temperature gradient of 80°C to 90°C in the top 5 to 6 cm, which induced a 70% to 80% reduction in weed establishment through the soil seedbank compared to the untreated control. Therefore, a 34% increase in..