Visitors to the annual field days at Dowerin, Newdegate and Mingenew will be able to view two prototype machines being developed to better detect and log skeleton weed.

Skeleton Weed Committee Chairman Rex Edmondson said the machines could be a key turning point for the future of the skeleton weed program, and also for the treatment of most other weeds.

Skeleton weed is declared for eradication in Western Australia (WA).  Unmanaged, the weed can reduce yields in crops by up to 80 per cent and can out-compete plants in pasture paddocks, providing poor fodder for cattle.

Mr Edmondson said the area searched annually had increased from 128,000 hectares in 2001 to more than 400,000 hectares due to greater surveillance searching by the Department of Agriculture. 

“Since 2001, skeleton weed has been found on 287 new properties and has been eradicated from 59 properties. The number of rural properties known to be infested with skeleton weed is currently 823,” he said.

Mr Edmondson said the successful testing of the machines would greatly reduce the time and resources needed to search infested properties.

The new machines are being developed as part of the auto detection technology project, funded by the WA Skeleton Weed Eradication Program and Weed Control Australia Limited.

“The first auto-detection prototype is a 30 metre boom, designed to detect and log the location of skeleton weed,” Mr Edmondson said.

“The second prototype is a 4.5 metre boom, mounted on to the back of a ute. This prototype is designed to detect, log and spray skeleton weed plants in a single operation.

“Testing for both prototypes under paddock conditions will be conducted in November.”

Mr Edmondson said the machines could travel up to 20 kilometres per hour when detecting, spot spraying and logging, and up to 30 kilometres per hour for detection and logging only. 

“They can operate day and night, and their productivity is similar for currently used spray booms of similar size,” Mr Edmondson said.

“If there is a malfunction, the modular detection units can be replaced in the field with little effort.”

The high precision required for the detection and treatment of skeleton weed has resulted in the fine tuning of the technology, enabling it to be easily adapted to other weeds.

Weed Control Australia Managing Director Mike Fisher said the machine had great potential for precision spraying of other weeds including broadacre, row cropping, vineyards and olives. 

Mr Fisher said it might also have municipal uses for footpaths and roadsides.

Grain growers will have the chance to view the 4.5 metre boom at the Dowerin and Newdegate Field Days and the Mingenew Lions Midwest Expo.  Farmers will also have the opportunity to view the 30 metre boom at the Dowerin Field Days.