Precision Spot Spraying System

Group Name: Advance Burdekin Collective

The issue:

• Sugarcane farmers are moving to minimum till and their reliance on chemicals will increase.  This will have three effects:
  • Growers' chemical costs will increase;
  • In order to avoid a build up of herbicide resistance, farmers will use a more extensive (and probably a more expensive) range of herbicides; and
  • An increased potential for off-farm impacts.

• WeedSeeker, an optical spot spray system, introduced to Australia in 2002, has seen chemical costs savings of 80% in broadacre applications. The WeedSeeker system has the ability to both reduce chemicals applied in the first instance and allow for the use of expensive chemistry to combat the resistance issues in the second, further to this in some areas woody weeds are present which require chemicals that can only be spot sprayed which by hand is labour intensive.
• The Burdekin regional plan discusses the use of technology and the reduction of growing costs; this project has the potential to address these points.

This project will seek to:

• Develop a spray hood system utilising optical spot spray sensors (WeedSeeker) for the cane industry. Determining the cost benefit from the uptake of WeedSeeker technology. The cost of WeedSeeker is very expensive (Approx $5561 / cane row + hood + boom + tank + installation).
• Develop a spray hood system utilising optical spot spray sensors (WeedSeeker) for the cane industry. Determining the cost benefit from the uptake of WeedSeeker technology. The cost of WeedSeeker is very expensive (Approx $5500 / cane row + hood).

Expose group members to new technology and will learn how it can be utilised to maximise profitability.

Project Activities:

• Design and develop spray hoods for WeedSeeker sensors in conjunction with Gough Plastics
• Install WeedSeeker and hoods on a 4 row spray boom
• Determine Weed pressure in trial sites
• Calibrate Spray systems
• Strip trial Irvan and Hooded WeedSeeker system on total area of 100ha in Burdekin and Herbert regions.
• Conduct post herbicide application evaluation on weed kill in trail areas on both systems
• Compare Irvan Boom to Hooded WeedSeeker system both agronomically and financially
• Prepare Cost Benefit analysis and communicate outcomes
• Contingency costs of chemicals will be built into this program in the event that the WeedSeeker system doesn't work reimbursement of chemical costs to growers can be done. In the event that this system works there will be no need for this.