Steam has fascinatingly begun to replace chemicals as a means of ridding seeds of harmful pests in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe, according to a report. report from Euronews.

ThermoSeed was developed by Kenneth Alness with the goal of providing healthy crops without the toxic dust and chemical exposure associated with common insect treatments. The steam pasteurization process – using “sharp jets” of steam – already processes 100,000 tonnes of seeds in six countries each year, according to Euronews and the company. website.

“Non-chemical solutions really need to prove that they are competitive before farmers are convinced. We put a lot of effort into this when we introduced the ThermoSeed. And it worked really, really well,” Bjørn Stabbetorp, CEO of the agricultural division of Felleskjøpet. said Euronews. Felleskjøpet is an agricultural cooperative based in Norway.

Alness was inspired to steam treat after reading a 1950s agricultural book that detailed how hot water was once used to rid seeds of pests before chemicals were used. by Euronews.

Although effective, chemical pesticides are associated with damage to pollinators and even human health, as detailed by the Pesticide Action & Agroecology Network and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Pollinators are important for sustain the global food chain. The Xerces Company notes that bees and other insects help 85% of the planet’s flowering plants to reproduce.

Steam eliminates the chemical burden of pest control. Better yet, ThermoSeed touts that its processing machine can be tailored to fit each seed producer’s unique production workshop.

But the big challenge is convincing skeptical farmers who don’t want to risk an entire harvest with a new type of treatment.

Euronews interviewed farmer Gustaf Silén, who praised the high-temperature technique, largely because it eliminates health risks from chemicals during planting.

“The bags with the seeds, when you open them, can be quite dusty and you get them everywhere. That’s not the case with ThermoSeed,” he said in the article.

As a benefit, leftover seeds are not loaded with pesticides, so the surplus can be used as food or even sold to another farmer. by the report.

This is part of the innovations developed elsewhere to improve agriculture. At the University of Texas at Austin, for example, researchers development a hydrogel to better control nitrogen-rich fertilizers. Nitrogen runoff can damage nearby waterways and cause other problems, like note by the EPA.

Changes to improve our food system can also start at home. Growing your own produce in a yard or porch garden not only provides fresh meals, but can also provide you with hundreds of dollars worth of fruits and vegetables. vegetables For healthy eat.

For its part, ThermoSeed has been offering its solution to farmers in the region since at least 2008. Each type of seed requires a specially designed processing method. With over a decade of experience and many seeds successfully processed, it appears Alness is ready to expand into Asia with a smaller, less expensive option, all according to at Euronews.

“I saw that this had potential and that it had to be good for nature, good for the climate. And I thought it was worth testing my crazy ideas – that’s where it all started.” , Alness said in the story.

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