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North Queensland growers could soon have new tools in the fight against weeds, with a Queensland Government project investigating alternatives to traditional chemical control.
The three-year project will test emerging physical weed-control technologies, including laser, electrical and mechanical systems, with a focus on finding methods that can work under Australian growing conditions.
Led by the Department of Primary Industries in partnership with Hort Innovation, the project will focus on onion and vegetable production and aims to help growers adopt technologies suited to their individual crops, conditions and landscapes.
For growers, the research comes as weed management becomes increasingly challenging, with rising costs, labour shortages, herbicide resistance and fewer available chemical control options creating pressure across the agricultural sector.
The project, known as the Validation of Physical Weed Technologies in Australia (Onion and Vegetable), is funded by Hort Innovation through industry levies.
Researchers will work with Australian and international partners, including Californian AgTech stakeholders, the Western Growers Association, Reservoir Farms and Cornell University.
While the technology being investigated may sound futuristic, the goal is practical: identifying equipment and techniques that can be tested in Australian conditions before being considered for use by growers.
For North Queensland producers, the potential benefits could include reduced reliance on herbicides and chemicals, as well as new options for managing weeds where labour and chemical availability are ongoing concerns.
Weed control is a significant consideration for agricultural businesses, with weeds competing with crops for water, nutrients and growing space while also increasing production costs.
The project is part of Queensland’s broader push towards greater adoption of agricultural technology and innovation.
Whether laser-based systems, electrical methods or mechanical equipment ultimately prove suitable for local conditions remains to be seen, but the research could provide growers with a broader range of options in the future.
The project will run for three years, with findings intended to help bridge the gap between emerging weed-control technology and practical use on Australian farms.
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