Warwickshire-based RootWave has secured a useful capital injection to help roll out its patented electric weed zapping technology.

The $15m (£11m) funding boost for RootWave, which includes $3m (£2.2m) in debt facilities provided by the government’s Innovate UK agency, will be used to scale up the business and support further trials with agricultural machinery manufacturers, with a view to expanding distribution, initially in continental Europe.

See also: RootWave demos new tractor-powered electric weeder

This ambition to partner with machine manufacturers will build on the mid-2024 agreement to combine the electric weed control technology with Garford Farm Machinery’s expertise in precision-guided mechanical hoes.

© Garford

RootWave says the patented high-frequency electricity its system uses is highly effective, generating sufficient heat within the weed’s vegetation and roots to kill it instantly, with up to 99% control achieved in one pass during independent trials.

The company’s own first product, the F601 eWeeder, is designed to provide chemical-free and timing-flexible weed control in orchards and vineyards.

Garford’s 3m electric weeder made its debut at Groundswell, the regen farming event, as a chemical-free weed control technique that does not disturb the soil.