Weed spot spraying in high demand for Perth councils

Jeremy Colfer, Environmental Industries, pictured spot spraying weeds along a pathway with WeedSeeker 2 technology.

MORE and more metropolitan councils are engaging contractors to spot spray weeds along paths and kerbs in their areas as the benefits for operators, communities and the environment continue to add up.

Environmental Industries is one of the major players in Western Australia providing weed and pest control services throughout Perth and regional areas, and its spot spraying service is in high demand across Perth.

WeedSeeker 2 weed identification sensors mounted on Environmental Industries’ Kubota tractors for spot spraying of weeds along pathways and kerbs in Perth council areas.

The company has been established more than 40 years and has been a leading landscaping, construction and maintenance services provider to the government, commercial, education, health, sporting and event sectors. It also operates a nursery supplying about 75 per cent of the vegetable seedlings used in the Perth and wider region.

Environmental Industries is currently providing spot spraying services to councils that stretch from north to south across the Perth metropolitan area, including Wanneroo, Stirling, Cambridge, Vincent, South Perth, Gosnells and Armadale.

Managing Director Brendon Winterbourn said the equipment used for the service included four small Kubota tractors with two WeedSeeker 2 weed identification sensors and a spray boom mounted at the front for pathway spraying, as well as two HiLux utes with sensors and booms mounted on each side at the rear for spraying of kerbs and median strips. The tractor units also include a spray gun for manual applications where needed.

The WeedSeeker 2 sensors, manufactured by Trimble and distributed throughout Australia by McIntosh Distribution, feature two light sources, including both red and near-infrared, for the most accurate detection of all weeds and which prevent them from being affected by changing conditions. The sensors identify weeds and immediately trigger nozzles on the booms to spray the target weeds.

Brendon said he considered alternative spot spraying systems, however they were more expensive and while they could be used at faster travel speeds, this was not required for the service to the councils.

“As the technology has continually been proven and councils have become aware of it, the adoption of the service has increased,” Brendon said.

“The days of people hanging out windows with a spray gun are numbered.

“Spot spraying is a cost for the councils, but the benefits far outweigh the cost.

“You are saving 80-85pc on chemical and, as a result, there is also less time mixing, less water is used and there is reduced risk of spillages. If a council can say that it can cover its whole area with a lot less chemical, it will be favourable.”

He said due to the chemical reduction, the spraying system also can be driven by electric pumps rather than petrol pumps, helping to reduce noise into neighborhoods.

The spot spraying rigs are constantly moving as well, so there is no requirement for traffic management and the community does not see operators hanging out of windows.

“For us as a business, it’s also easier to acquire staff who know they are going to sit in an air-conditioned cab with the windows up,” Brendon said.

“They just mix things up in the morning and that’s it – they are not having to handle further chemical and come back to a water hydrant.

“They also are not constantly looking for weeds. They can focus on driving and the spraying is then completed quickly and easily.”

Richard Gainsford, with Perth WeedSeeker 2 dealer, McIntosh & Son, said some councils were still to become aware of the spot spraying service and understand how accessible it can be through contractors, however it was growing.

“In addition to Environmental Industries, we have another operator looking to set up a WeedSeeker 2 system on a UTV for council spraying and environmental work,” Richard said.

Meanwhile, Brendon is also exploring the use of the WeedSeeker 2 sensors, as part of a fully- automated system, for triggering water applications onto sapling plantings. The complete planting system would rip and scalp the soil before carrying out the planting, fertiliser and water applications.

If you’re interested in WeedSeeker 2, reach out to your local McIntosh & Son dealership below for more information.