Companies sign agreement to promote precision spot spraying

Earlier in July, Tramontana Agro Technologies announced a new business relationship with Agrimetrix Research & Training to introduce WEEDit into the Canadian market.

WEEDit is a selective spray system of sensors and pulse-width-modulated (PWM) spray nozzles that can sense plants and trigger the right amount of spray for the intended target.

WEEDit achieves this by using sensors that emit a red light that return a near-infrared signal when striking chlorophyll. Spray nozzles located at 8-inch intervals along the boom are activated to spray the sensed plant. The system is designed to work at speeds of up to 24 kmh.

With PWM capability, the system allows a simultaneous broadcast spray of a low herbicide dose in the background, activating the full dose for larger weeds, ensuring that weeds too small to be detected receive a controlled dose. The ability to selectively spray green material has additional potential in desiccation and pre-harvest treatments.

“I’ve been watching both weed sensing and PWM with interest for over 20 years”, says Tom Wolf, co-owner of Agrimetrix. “I believe that this technology is part of agriculture’s future. It addresses many economic and agronomic needs of producers, while also advancing agriculture’s commitment to environmental protection.”

In some provinces, WEEDit may be eligible for Canadian Agriculture Partnership (CAP) rebates.