Soil Disinfection by Steam

PRESENTATION

First of all, one must know that steam disinfection is a physical and natural process, therefore without risk. it is based on the difference of resistance to temperature of micro-organisms of the soil.
The water steam is the agent which best transmits (and the most rapidly) its calories to the earth. This dry and overheated steam is produced by low pressure generators, which may be stationary or portable according to the purposes.

In principle, water steam is injected in the soil to the desired depth depending on the type of culture. The soil temperature reached to 80°C – 85°C cleans it from all diseases (weeds, nematodes…) in keeping its own qualities for the growth of the culture.
Moreover, the steam gives secondary qualities for vegetables growers such as: Better growth of the plant, no stress for the plant during its growth and bigger final products for harvesting.

The disinfection time will vary with the desired depth and with the parasites to be destroyed.

Condition of the ground for disinfection

In all cases when steam disinfection is used, it is considered that a soil ready to be ploughed is in ideal condition to enable a perfect penetration of the steam in the soil.

Advantages of the steam

• The steam is a physical and natural disinfection process, without retentivity nor selectivity, which enables a fast rotation of plant crops of different families.
• In addition it is polyvalent since it has a total action which causes no inurement.
• The CM REGERO Industries’s generators are very simple to use.
• The steam avoids to immobilize the soil and therefore enables a fast use of your grounds.
• The steam ensures a production with a higher output in quality and in quantity.
• The steam enables an earliness of the crops in releasing through the heat a latent fertility of the ground.
• Its action is natural and not hazardous to the user, the plant and the ground.

With its simple use, the CM REGERO Industries’s steam constitutes a disinfection without risk, more economic because of its multiple actions.

Its polyvalent actions

• a weed control
• a fungicide treatment
• a nematicide treatment
• an insecticide traitement
• a treatment on virus

Therefore a warranty of success for your cultivations.

Technical characteristics

(click to enlarge)

MANUAL VErsion

The frame-mounted generator with pneumatic wheels is placed at the end of the field to disinfect, and connected to water and electricity sources.

A steam pipe connects the generator to its injection device in the soil – either a special cover for steam, or an aluminium shield.

The cover is necessary to perform disinfection at a depth of 25 cm. In this case, the cover sits across a larger surface but the process is more tiresome. It takes 2 hours to inflate the cover and 2 hours for disinfection on average, depending to the surface.
Fuel consumption is three times higher than with an aluminium shield.

The aluminium shield is more commonly used, as a 10-12 cm depth for disinfection is sufficient for 80% of treatments. Operation is simple and is facilitated by wheel levers for work on beds and by roller levers for work on any width.

Installation takes 6 minutes on average (depending on the climatic conditions and on the soil).
Fuel consumption is 0.5 liter/m2 on average.

These data are valid whatever the versions used for disinfection.

VERSION WITH A SHIELD-SUPPORTING FRAME

In this configuration, the use of a tractor is mandatory.

On the front lifting device, the 3d point carries a frame supporting the shields with the valves and steam distribution. This unit is connected by a steam pipe to the boiler located at the rear of the tractor, hitch by a shaft. The frame of the boiler follows the tractor’s track.

An operator moves the tractor forward and actuates the lifting device to perform the disinfection in 6-minute cycles.

LEM VERSION (patented machine)

In this configuration, an autonomous shield-supporting frame connected to the boiler carries out the disinfection.

This disinfection technique does not require any tractor and is especially suited for tunnels for disinfection in any width (without beds).

An operator sitting on the platform advances the unit at each disinfection cycle via metal wheels and electric motors. These wheels swivel 90 °C at the end of a tunnel into the next.

SEMI-AUTOMATic Version

In this configuration, a tractor pulls an autonomous unit consisting of the boiler, a generator, a fuel tank and disinfection shields.

An operator moves the tractor forward at each cycle.

SELF PROPELLED FULLY AUTOMATIC VERSION (patented machine)

CM REGERO Industries’s self propelled steam machine can perform disinfection 20/24h. This machine is completely autonomous and requires no operator.

A 15 kVA marine-type generator supplies the required power. A 1,300 liter fuel tank provides an autonomy of approximately 1 day. A reel automatically unwinds the hose as the machine advances.

A programming system allows you to very simply manage the number and duration of cycles.

This machine comes in several versions for 3, 5 and 7 beds. It provides unprecedented comfort an unmatched performance.