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Projects > projects > weed_control
CHEMICAL TRIAL FOR WEED CONTROL ON FOOTPATHS
Weed control in footpaths, paved median islands and road kerbs
Council has approved the continuation of chemical free weed control in footpaths, paved median islands and road kerbs for a further one year period at its council meeting of 18 April 2005.
To allow for future comparison of this form of weed control, council has also authorized a 12 month chemical application process trial in areas to be selected.
Individual residents adjoining the trial areas will be separately notified of the details for the trials and given the opportunity to have chemical application excluded outside their residences.
Chemical to be used
The proposed chemical to be used for the trial is glyphosate (commonly known as Roundup). Glyphosate is widely used across the World and in Australia is Government approved for residential , agricultural and industrial usage. The published Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) clearly describe the chemical as being of extremely low toxicity. A wide variety of Glyphosate based products are freely available from supermarkets or hardware stores and in one form or another have been in use over 30 years, domestically, commercially, in rural and agricultural applications. Generally these products are extremely safe and MSDS classification indicates toxicity the same as common table salt. Glyphosate is a contact herbicide quickly absorbed into plant tissue with any residues on the ground being consumed by bacteria within the soil. The product causes the plant to stop absorbing moisture/nutrients from the surrounding soil and does not poison or destroy plant tissue to cause that to happen. In effect it tricks the plants hormonal processes. Glyphosate has little effect on waterborne insects or other creatures living in a waterbody. Glyphosate does not cause skin or eye irritation if used as per manufacturers instructions. Every care will be taken to reduce overspray and or translocation of spray mist.
In Fremantle we have a significant problem with a very prolific weed called Fleabane. Its presence is isolated to a number of areas where it is spreading rapidly. Seeding in plant yields around 135000 seeds. – we are currently whippersnipping mature plants but this is a very costly process.
The trial will include some areas of Fleabane and in these limited trials the chemical Ally will be added to the Glyphosate mix (Ally in low concentration) This is the only safe means of eliminating mature fleabane plants. Ally also has a low toxicity and is used in low concentrations.
Methodology
The start of the trial is expected to take place over the week starting 5 September 2005, and individual chemical spraying of sections are expected to take less than half an hour.
Chemical spraying will be applied under conditions appropriate for its application. Ie no wind and no rain in periods of rapid growth. The herbicide treatment proposed by us for the trial will employ all normal application rates and safety requirement required by any Local Government. I.e.: we will employ the same standard procedures and methods of treatment as utilized by Councils across the Metro area on roads, footpaths, in parks and in public open spaces. Almost all Councils use glyphosate and its use is highly varied - in Parks and Gardens but also on road verges, medians, kerbs, gullies lawn edges, in compounds, around buildings on pavements and basically anywhere facilities or gardens are invaded by weeds. Hoods covering the spray pattern catch all overspray which then drips onto the ground. Hoods also restrict the pattern to a very specific area and prevent a larger area being affected and prevent any wind drift.
Management of contractors
Our trials will be undertaken by fully trained and quality endorsed contractors working to our own and MSDS guidelines, managed by our officers. All safety, handling, mixing or other procedures will be defined as part of contractor endorsement and are also listed in product safety and material data sheets. We will require documents held by contractors to adhere to these guidelines.
The contractor will not mix or carry concentrates in equipment or within vehicles in any street or suburb. Mixing will be undertaken elsewhere under approved guideline practices. The diluted product is absolutely safe as outlined in MSDS.
Benefits
By comparing the two methods of control and the effectiveness of each we will thus provide a basis for future council decisions on the most appropriate or most practical method. Accordingly we need to conduct a variety of tests in key areas in each Suburb so that we can directly compare processes and results
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