CNH Industrial Australia inks agreement with Seed Terminator to boost ‘war on weeds’ costing farmers $3.3b

Farmers using red and yellow machinery will be able to have one of Australia’s most popular weed seed tools fitted to their combines next year after CNH Industrial inked a “significant” agreement with Seed Terminator. The agreement enables the expanded dealer network of both Case IH and New Holland to sell the Seed Terminator exclusively to their customers. The Seed Terminator, designed and made in Australia, is a simple attachment for combine harvesters that terminates seeds before they become weeds. Ongoing university trials in Australia and overseas show the harvester-fitted device is capable of killing up to 99 per cent of notoriously-tough rye grass seeds by using a multi-stage hammermill to kill weed seeds in one pass. With 267 weed species proving resistant to 165 different herbicides globally, seed terminator inventor Nick Berry said the agreement with CNH Industrial Australia was a “significant step” in the war on weeds. “These may be the only herbicides we ever have to control weeds and allow us to produce food, and we’re destroying them at an alarming rate,” he said. “We need technology to preserve those chemicals, allowing us to produce enough food, to feed the world. “We started this company on the principle of getting this technology to as many farmers as possible as quickly as possible and as economically as possible. “This agreement with CNH Industrial Australia is the next significant step.” Destructive weeds are estimated to cost Australian grain growers up to $3 billion per year, with Grains Research and Development Corporation estimating yield losses of up to 2.76 million tonnes per year. Farmers are looking for alternatives to spraying, with herbicide resistance estimated to cost more than than $187m per year. The Seed Terminator targets herbicide-resistant weeds that have survived in-season control through spraying. The first pilot Seed Terminators were introduced in 2016 and now more than 650 machines are operating across three continents. Seed Terminator chief executive Paul Sandercock said the agreement would help more farmers adopt the technology. “To expand our reach with CNH Industrial means farmers are more able to quickly adopt harvest weed seed control and accelerate their steps in controlling herbicide-resistant weeds,” he said. CNH Industrial ANZ business development Tony Peters said making the Seed Terminator available through both the CASE IH and New Holland dealer networks would enable the network to become a “one-stop shop” for the mechanical weed control method. “Case IH and New Holland are listening to farmers’ weed control issues and by giving their farmers access to the market-leading Harvest Weed Control, show their support of this innovative technology,” he said. Farmers keen to order a Seed Terminator for next year’s combines have been encouraged to contact their dealer as soon as possible, while those who want to install one for next year’s harvest should contact their local CASE IH or New Holland dealer. Customers keen to order a Seed Terminator for their 2023 new combine purchase and take advantage of finance offers should contact their dealer as soon as possible.