Abstract
This chapter describes various options that use energy to cause thermal injury to plants for weed control. These include the use of fire, flaming, infrared radiation, hot water, steam, electrical energy, microwave radiation, ultraviolet radiation, lasers and freezing temperatures. Some of these options, e.g. flame weeding, are commercially viable, but some are impractical at present, and others need further research and development before they can be used under field conditions. Thermal weed control methods have shown environmental benefits in terms of impacts on soil and water, but negative impacts on air quality and energy usage, compared with mechanical and chemical methods.