Caroline Sandral using the gas-operated splatter gun.
Lantana, a Class 3 declared weed.
Splatter gun assault on lantana
Biosecurity Queensland finally has some ammunition to fight the lantana problem - the gas-operated splatter gun.
The splatter gun and other control methods were demonstrated at recent lantana control field days in the Mackay region, and the gun was the clear winner with councils, graziers and catchment associations.
Lantana is listed as a ‘weed of national significance’ and covers more than four million hectares of Queensland and New South Wales grazing land. Native to Central and South America, lantana grows in impenetrable thickets and is poisonous to stock.
Good rains and favourable growing conditions this year have resulted in a huge spike in the spread of lantana in Queensland.
The splatter gun is an ideal defence. It delivers a 1:9 glyphosate and water concentrate mix in each squirt and hits the weed with a well-directed large droplet splatter.
Biosecurity Officer Caroline Sandral said the main advantage of the splatter gun is that it can squirt the concentrate six to 10 metres to a specific target.
‘The gun reduces chemical usage and the potential for off-target environmental damage,’ Caroline said.
The optimal time to control lantana is from October through to April when the weed is actively growing.
The sale and distribution of lantana in Queensland is illegal, however the plant is still common in gardens even though it causes so many problems in rural areas. It costs the Queensland grazing industry in excess of $70 million per year.
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Last reviewed: 7 August, 2009
Last updated: 10 August, 2009
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