|
|
|
Aerial attack to KO weed
4 Aug 2004
South Australian farmers are taking to the skies to help in eradicating the noxious weed branched broomrape. Helicopters carrying fire buckets are saturating soils with Interceptor Seed Eradicator, a new pine oil product to kill the weed's seeds.
The weed is one of the greatest threats to the grain industry; overseas buyers won't accept wheat contaminated with branched broomrape seed.
Scientists found 98 per cent of branched broomrape seeds were destroyed by Interceptor in laboratory tests. It's also cheaper to apply than methyl bromide, a soil fumigant currently being used. However, it requires as much as 20,000 litres of water to ensure it seeps down through the soil, so Helicopters Victoria was engaged to use its firefighting equipment. Project officers will take soil samples over the next year to determine the effectiveness of the seed eradicator.
Weekly Times, 4/8/04, page 5.
|
|
