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DIY weed control unit with 80 per cent success rate could save WA farmers thousands

Headshot of Shannon Verhagen
OpenWeedLocator developer and precision weed control expert Guy Coleman with the device.
Camera IconOpenWeedLocator developer and precision weed control expert Guy Coleman with the device. Credit: Shannon Verhagen/Countryman/Countryman

A DIY approach to precision agriculture could be the way of the future, putting innovation “in the hands of farmers” and engaging the next generation with the $80 billion industry, according to an expert.

Mingenew is now home to its very own OpenWeedLocator — also known as OWL — after precision weed control expert Guy Coleman flew the innovative gadget over in his suitcase last week.

The build-your-own device promises a 75-95 per cent hit-rate, anticipated to optimise chemical use and save farmers thousands as herbicide prices soar.

The OWL uses cameras and sensors to identify and spray weeds.
Camera IconThe OWL uses cameras and sensors to identify and spray weeds. Credit: Shannon Verhagen/Countryman

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Speaking at the Mingenew Midwest Expo, the WA-born University of Sydney scientist and PhD student said using “open source” technology available online, farmers had all of the building blocks they needed to build their own.

“There’s a history of innovation in agriculture . . . a lot has come out of Western Australia, like knife points, and Harrington Seed Destructor . . . tonnes of innovation happens,” he said.

“I think putting the innovation in the hands of farmers, not just for those kinds of hardware-type systems, but also into electronics and computer systems . . . that’s really important.”

The low-cost image-based system uses four-megapixel cameras connected to 8GB Raspberry Pi computers, which are set on a one-metre bar towed on the back of a ute, operating 0.82m above the soil.

When moving at 10km/h, it boasts an average success rate of 79 per cent, successfully detecting and spraying fallow weeds.

All the components can be purchased for about $1000, with information on assembly and use accessible online at open source website GitHub.

OpenWeedLocator developer and precision weed control expert Guy Coleman with the device.
Camera IconOpenWeedLocator developer and precision weed control expert Guy Coleman with the device. Credit: Shannon Verhagen/Countryman/Countryman

Mr Coleman — who gained an appreciation for the agriculture industry at his father’s Esperance farm and mother’s South West property — said while it involved time and labour putting it together, it meant farmers would know the unit inside out.

The open-source nature of the technology also provides an important feedback mechanism, he said, where farmers can add their own thoughts in discussion forums and help shape the future of the unit.

“That’s why I went down the DIY path,” Mr Coleman said.

“Because when people are building it, they’ll probably say, ‘oh this is a terrible way of doing it, why have they done this?’

“But because they know how it’s built they can change it and give feedback to the community so it can be done better next time or maybe they see a different use for it, too.

“DIY opens the door for that kind of feedback and community development.”

After developing the OWL with crop physiologist William Salter last year, it has since gone global, with units built in the UK, the US, France, Canada and Australia.

The OWL uses cameras and sensors to identify and spray weeds.
Camera IconThe OWL uses cameras and sensors to identify and spray weeds. Credit: Shannon Verhagen/Countryman

Demonstrating its abilities to an enthralled crowd at the expo, Mr Coleman waved a clump of capeweed under the sensor, which automatically triggered the spraying mechanism.

As soon as he moved it away, it stopped spraying.

Mr Coleman said the device was not ideal for use at sunset and sunrise when lighting conditions were rapidly changing, but trials during the day showed huge promise.

Trials in Narrabri in NSW had success rates of up to 95 per cent with certain cameras, with Mr Coleman excited for its future, with DIY OWL “kits” a potential next step in making adoption of the technology easier.

While the scientist boarded a plane back to NSW to continue his research, the unit will remain in the Mid West for now with the Mingenew Irwin Group, before eventually being based at UWA, where Mr Coleman completed a Bachelor of Science in 2015.

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