Western Treatment Plant canal weed control
Discover our innovative approach to weed control at the Western Treatment Plant canals. In collaboration with Melbourne Water we utilised advanced drone technology to create obstacle-aware maps, ensuring precise and efficient herbicide application to tackle chemical-resistant weeds and safeguard infrastructure integrity.
Customer
Melbourne Water
Location
Western Treatment Plant, Cocoroc
Equipment Used
- DJI Phantom 4 RTK
- DJI Agras T10
- DJI Agras T40
Licences and approvals
- Agricultural Aircraft Operator Licence (AAOL)
- Agricultural Chemical User Permit (ACUP)
Problem
The Western Treatment Plant has a number of different areas that require specialised herbicide treatment. The open channels that run throughout need to be blanket sprayed to ensure that weeds don’t compromise the integrity of the concrete and block access. Adding to the difficulty of weed control is the fact that most of the weeds present had some chemical resistance from past treatments of herbicide.
Solution
With multiple structures, poles, power lines and fences present along the lengths of the canals, it was necessary to create maps of some areas to ensure that all obstacles were avoided while spraying. These areas could then be quickly treated with the DJI Agras spray drones, allowing for total coverage of the treatment areas. This resulted in the weeds being controlled with maximum efficiency and minimal overspray into abutting crop and pasture paddocks.
