Brookton grower tests Billberry camera

Published in Farm Weekly, 3rd July 2025

The Miller Nitro 7380 Sprayer being tested in the paddock at Coondee Farms.

McIntosh & Son recently ran a demonstration of its Miller Nitro 7380 Sprayer at Coondee Farms, West Brookton, and this particular sprayer was optioned with a Bilberry intelligent spot spraying camera system.

Coondee Farms' operation is 50 per cent cropping and 50pc sheep - and this year seeded 1300 hectares of canola, lupins, oats and winter wheat for grazing.

Scotty Morton, crop manager at Coondee Farms, is no stranger to the Miller Nitro 7380 Sprayer, using one for his spraying program, however, he wanted to test drive one with the Bilberry fitted onto the 36 metre truss boom to identify radishes in lupins.

“It’s green-on-green technology,” Mr Morton said, referring to the system which distinguishes weeds from crops. The Bilberry camera analyses field images in realtime and also works for green-on-brown spraying operations.

Green-on-brown spraying works on the same principle as green-on-green, only it identifies weeds in stubble instead of crops.

"The chemical we're using, because it's brassica on brassica, it's very hard to get a chemical to work that well," Mr Morton said.

"In saying that, the effectiveness of getting the chemical on the plant through the camera was pretty good."

"When you go and have a look at the radish, and see the amount of chemical that was on the plant, the system definitely works."

Mr Morton was happy with how it ran, using it for just one pass, equating to about 150 hectares, and is impressed with less chemical use. He said without the camera with blanket spraying, he wouldn't have been able to use that chemical at that rate.

"You'd have to use three times the rate (wihtout the Bilberry camera)," Mr Morton said

"The higher rate you go up with that chemical, which is brassica on brassica, the more you'll damage the lupins.

"That's why spot spraying was so important."

The system uses well developed algorithms that allow users to identify specific crops said McIntosh & Son sales representative Ryan Gault.

“Amid the current high farm input cost environment, the technology can help reduce chemical and operational costs,” Mr Gault said.

“Plus Bilberry has recently changed its model from a subscription to a one-off licence cost, making the purchase process simple.

Green-on-green trials with the Bilberry system have shown a minimum hit-and-kill rate of 80 per cent, as well as chemical savings of up to 90pc.

“Growers can cover more ground with a tank, and they can also go with more concentrated applications of particular selective herbicides to help better control difficult weeds,” Mr Gault said.

Reduced in-crop spraying can also help delay the development of herbicide resistance, avoid potential yield penalties and minimise environmental impacts.

Mr Morton said he didn't set it up "absolutely properly" and was still figuring out the sweet spot when speed was concerned. "I'm assuming with cameras, the slower you go, the better it would be, Mr Morton said.

Mr Morton said, like everyone else, they had a late start to the season.

"Canola is a little patchy through germination, but it's all there now, it'll just depend on a spring finish," he said.

"In saying that, in this area of Brookton, some of the country gets pretty wet and those patches are going to be good to us.

For more information on the Bilberry spot spraying system or the Miller Nitro, please contact your local the McIntosh & Son dealership here.