They're Using

2003 - Volume #27, Issue #5, Page #20

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They're Using "Foam Mulch" To Stop Weeds

A chemist at the University of Illinois has come up with a revolutionary new way to control weeds without using chemicals or tillage equipment.
  Al Morgan came up with a recipe for a "foaming mulch" that is sprayed between rows - and even in the row. The porous foam sets up, forming a barrier that stops weeds from emerging but still allows moisture to trickle down through it. The foam gradually breaks down.
  "When the season is over, you can work the foam residue down into the ground and it becomes part of the soil," says Morgan, who has patents on the mixing process and recipe that's used to make the foam mulch.
  What makes the idea work is that the foam is made up of organic material - cornstalks, straw, cotton fiber and other plant residue, along with old newspapers and just about anything that can be easily ground up. Morgan blends this material with foaming ingredients that can be mixed with water and then applied. The foam dries out a short time after being applied, leaving a thin mat.
  Morgan has been testing the system at the University of Illinois for the past four years. He has also tested the system on his own small farm where he grows herbs, vegetables and flowers. "Foam mulch is less expensive than black plastic and also a lot easier to handle," he says. "You can put the mulch down first and then plant into it, or plant first and then apply the foam around the growing plants. Some tests have shown that adding certain colors to the foam also helps increase yields."
  Morgan is working with a manufacturer and hopes to have the foam mulch system on the market by next spring. "It'll be geared toward high-value crops and gardens, but probably won't be cost effective for large row-crop acreage," he says.
  "The customer will probably buy his own mixing equipment and pumps - most of which are already commercially available - and we would then license our technology to him. Or, we may sell the customer packages of dry mix."
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Al Morgan, 317 E. Jefferson, Clinton, Ill. 61727 (ph 217 935-3872).

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They're Using "Foam Mulch" To Stop Weeds CROPS Weed Control 27-5-20 A chemist at the University of Illinois has come up with a revolutionary new way to control weeds without using chemicals or tillage equipment. Al Morgan came up with a recipe for a "foaming mulch" that is sprayed between rows - and even in the row. The porous foam sets up, forming a barrier that stops weeds from emerging but still allows moisture to trickle down through it. The foam gradually breaks down. "When the season is over, you can work the foam residue down into the ground and it becomes part of the soil," says Morgan, who has patents on the mixing process and recipe that's used to make the foam mulch. What makes the idea work is that the foam is made up of organic material - cornstalks, straw, cotton fiber and other plant residue, along with old newspapers and just about anything that can be easily ground up. Morgan blends this material with foaming ingredients that can be mixed with water and then applied. The foam dries out a short time after being applied, leaving a thin mat. Morgan has been testing the system at the University of Illinois for the past four years. He has also tested the system on his own small farm where he grows herbs, vegetables and flowers. "Foam mulch is less expensive than black plastic and also a lot easier to handle," he says. "You can put the mulch down first and then plant into it, or plant first and then apply the foam around the growing plants. Some tests have shown that adding certain colors to the foam also helps increase yields." Morgan is working with a manufacturer and hopes to have the foam mulch system on the market by next spring. "It'll be geared toward high-value crops and gardens, but probably won't be cost effective for large row-crop acreage," he says. "The customer will probably buy his own mixing equipment and pumps - most of which are already commercially available - and we would then license our technology to him. Or, we may sell the customer packages of dry mix." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Al Morgan, 317 E. Jefferson, Clinton, Ill. 61727 (ph 217 935-3872).

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