Redekop first began developing solutions for herbicide-resistant weeds in 2015 to help Australian farmers control problem ryegrass in their fields. In 2025, Redekop began a three-year project on EMILI’s Innovation Farms powered by AgExpert to test and validate its Seed Control Unit (SCU) to provide Canadian farmers with third-party research that shows the benefits of this technology in fields here at home.
The SCU is a high-speed impact mill system that is attached to a combine. Weed and volunteer grain seeds enter the unit during harvest, are destroyed by the mill, and are spread back on the ground.
During the 2025 season, a Redekop Manufacturing SCU was installed on one of two John Deere X9 combines used on EMILI’s Innovation Farms. The combine was used in four fields to harvest wheat and canola with the intention to use that combine in the same fields over the three-year project. Throughout the project, drone imagery and weed counts were used to compare areas where the SCU was used with areas where it was not used. EMILI’s Innovation Farms team also used data from John Deere Operations Centre to calculate an ROI around combine productivity and fuel efficiencies when the SCU is used, and to compare the reduction of herbicide applications required in seasons following SCU usage.
“Australia had previously developed several different ways of managing [herbicide-resistant] weeds,” said Dean Mayerle, chief technology officer with Redekop Manufacturing, noting that some methods were not environmentally acceptable, and others were difficult to use.
“By far, seed impact mills were the best agronomic choice for killing weeds by putting that residue back to the soil for agronomic purposes.”
Redekop Manufacturing installing their Seed Control Unit on a John Deere X9 combine. (Photo credit: EMILI)
Mayerle explained that the SCU is not a stand-alone weed control option, but that it works best in tandem with farmers’ existing weed control practices. Dormant weed seeds may exist in the soil, and seeds may be present in residue and begin to grow when they come into contact with soil after being disturbed by machinery.
“One of the biggest herbicide resistance problems [in Canada] is kochia. We’ve helped farmers clean up the kochia in their fields, but not everyone understands that that can be done, and that harvest weed seed control is really a complimentary method,” said Mayerle. “Harvest weed seed control – the SCU – in combination with existing practices is a sustainable way of controlling your weeds.”
Mayerle said that the ability to test the SCU on EMILI’s Innovation Farms allows Canadian farmers to see Canadian results.
“The data that EMILI is producing is … very similar to other data we have, whether it’s from Australia, South America, or Europe. It’s all very similar, but everybody wants to see how the machine works – especially new technology – in their own backyard.”
EMILI’s Innovation Farms team found preliminary results from the 2025 season show that variable rate spray application could significantly reduce herbicide needs in areas where the SCU was used, however more comprehensive data involving the SCU results will not be available until the project ends in 2028. The team also found that more grain was saved in the harvested strips when the SCU was used due to the combine’s increased separation performance when additional airflow was removed by the SCU, and that the combine required slightly more fuel than without the unit.
“What I like when I see the work that’s being done at EMILI is that it’s not just focusing on one aspect, it’s focusing on what a typical Canadian farmer may encounter. We want to demonstrate the SCU in typical Canadian conditions so Canadian farmers can be confident that the results EMILI gets will be the same results they get on their farm.”
Visit EMILI’s Innovation Farms to learn more about this project and other activities. EMILI hosts field tours and demonstrations on Innovation Farms throughout the season to showcase new agricultural technology, expand innovation opportunities, and increase understanding and adoption of digital tools.