One of the leading bio medical research institutes in Switzerland, the Friedrich Miescher Institute, has conducted comprehensive research on the killing effect of hot steam on different weed seeds.
Scientific research was necessary, since the institute had to master the task to sterilize large areas which were cultivated with genetically modified plants.
All germinable plant parts and seeds had to be completely destroyed.
Soil steaming was the first choice
In order to proof the success of the measure at different locations of the contaminated area small bags of seeds were put into the soil before the steaming process. The seeds were examined after steaming on their germination capacity.
The result was 100% convincing: All seed bags exposed to steam, also those which were put in deeper soil layers down to 20cm, were completely killed. No shooting was discovered.
