Farmers buy WEED-IT because they talk to other farmers. Farmers in the Pacific Northwest have struggled with weed resistance for years and with rising chemical prices, equipment costs, and fuel prices the ability to keep their fields clean has only gotten harder.

Farmers buy WEED-IT because they talk to other farmers. Farmers in the Pacific Northwest have struggled with weed resistance for years and with rising chemical prices, equipment costs, and fuel prices the ability to keep their fields clean has only gotten harder. When Round-Up was $9 per gallon it was cost effective to broadcast spray fallow ground, but when the price increased to over $50 per gallon it put a hard hit on the wheat farming community. These economic changes have farmers looking for technologies that are more efficient to help them stay afloat, but which ones do they choose? One popular technology among farmers is WEED-IT Spot Spraying technology.

WEED-IT was first modified for agricultural use in 2011 after its early presence in pavement spraying among municipalities in Europe. In 2015, the WEED-IT arrived in Washington State and quickly grew in popularity among wheat farmers for its spot spraying capabilities and proven chemical savings. Since its US arrival in 2015, WEED-IT has become one of the top choices among dryland wheat farmers, orchards, and in vineyards for burndown spot spraying saving farmers as much as 90% on the herbicide costs.

WEED-IT is an infrared light technology that detects chlorophyll in living plants. These sensors can detect a plant as small as a quarter while operating at speeds up to 15 mph both day and night. Paired with WEED-IT's 50hz solenoids, the technology offers individual PWM nozzle control in three different operational modes including spot spray, broadcast spraying with PWM rate control, and a dual mode that combines spot spraying and broadcast spraying all out of one set of plumbing.

The WEED-IT technology and hardware is lightweight adding only 1.5lbs per foot to the sprayer's booms. Sensors are placed every 40 inches with coinciding nozzles placed every 10 inches for added application efficiency on each detected weed. This technology can be retrofitted to most all sprayer makes and models and does not change the general operation of the sprayer. With single stack or five way turrets installed on every other nozzle, farmers can still use their sprayer conventionally by leaving WEED-IT turned off.

Operating WEED-IT is simple with its one button start-up, self-calibration, and compensation capabilities. WEED-IT comes fully equipped with automatic speed, height, and turn compensation ensuring that no weed is missed and that application rates remain the same. WEED-IT is also ISOBUS compatible which allows farmers to operate WEED-IT through their current displays and have up to 40 sections of mapping capabilities.

With all of WEED-IT's capabilities farmers are drastically reducing their herbicide usage, eliminating weed resistance, and improving their soil quality. "On bare ground, we're seeing 80% savings on our chemical cost. Especially last year when round-up was over $50 per gallon we were still paying pennies on the dollar with WEED-IT" says Brian Andrews of Prosser, WA. "For example I usually buy five totes of glyphosate for the year. Last year I bought five totes and I still have some left over after spraying for two seasons."

Brian also uses his WEED-IT on his irrigated ground saying, "Now between my pre-emergent/burn down spray and my season spray I'm able to take WEED-IT out there and just get those little guys that are straggling, so that has really helped us clean up our fields. We used to just let them grow and then go hand pull them so this is a lot easier and saves us labor."
While farmers are reducing their chemical usage, they are also increasing their efficiency and reducing their water usage. On average, the time spent refilling tanks takes 3-4 hours per day, but now that farmers are targeting individual weeds, they are able to run for 2-3 days without refilling. This adds an additional several hundred acres a day that farmers are able to spray. "In the summer, with the WEED-IT, we fill that thing up and may spray for 2-3 days. Instead of putting a 10,000 gallon tanker out there, we now use a 3200 gallon tank. There were a few times we were out there thinking ‘when is this thing going to be empty.' That's a good problem!" says father and son team Brad and Ben Tompkins of Clyde, WA.

Paired with the water savings, farmers are saving on labor. "You can spray 800 acres or 1000 acres if the weeds are sparse enough on one load, so I don't have the labor of hauling water, I don't have labor of moving equipment around, just jump in the sprayer in the morning and go out and spray and at the end of the day drive the sprayer home. So there's major labor savings with WEED-IT," says Devin Moon from Horse Heaven, WA.

Weed resistance is a growing issue in the Pacific Northwest but WEED-IT is quickly helping farmers to get the advantage. Brad Murison of Mansfield, WA is already seeing improvement on his weed resistance in just one year of using WEED-IT. "Last year I did a post harvest spraying with the WEED-IT but only got 500 acres done. This year we saw a reduction [of weeds] on those same 500 acres. We sprayed the whole farm post harvest this year so we should see a big reduction next year. Didn't do much of it before because of the economics, so with the money I'm saving it's a win-win. Now, if we do see resistance I'll be able to use more expensive chemicals because I wouldn't have before [having WEED-IT]."

Doug Poole of Mansfield, WA has owned WEED-IT for five years and has "been able to take out some weeds that I think are already chemical resistant in our area and it just has to do with the fact that we have the technology to go out and to maybe put on a little higher rate or just a different chemistry."

"The proof is in the pudding" as they say. After speaking with farmers across the Pacific Northwest the general consensus on the WEED-IT technology is very positive. Many farmers are getting creative and using WEED-IT not only for weed control but for desiccation and top dressing sunflowers.

"It really does pay for itself. Within a year, two years you'll be making money off of it" - Brain Andrews

"The WEED-IT as a piece of equipment is probably the first piece of equipment I have ever had that has actually made me money and continues to make money in the fallow system" - Doug Poole

"I just personally think that if you are in no-till and you're not looking at the WEED-IT technology, you're missing out. In fifty some years it's the only piece of equipment I don't mind spending money on because I know it's coming back to our pocket" - Brad Tompkins

"WEED-IT is the best technology investment since auto steer. With a 2.5 year payback, there are few, if any, capital purchases on the farm with an ROI that good." - Devin Moon

For additional information about WEED-IT you can visit with AgriTech America at the upcoming Direct Seed Conference and at the Spokane Ag Show, or visit their website www.weeditspotspray.com for additional information and full testimonials.

WEED-IT can be purchased through all Odessa Trading Company, RDO Equipment, Morrow County Grain Growers, and Hillbilly Ag locations across the Pacific Northwest.