Utilising unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for remotely assessing and effectively controlling emergent weeds in aquatic systems using herbicides

Abstract

The use of emerging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies in weed control has been readily adopted as a complementary new tool by land managers. The functionality, availability and affordability of UAV’s has meant that their use is no longer restricted to highly skilled research and commercial operators but accessible to farmers, local councils and Government agencies. There remain questions about the value and efficacy of herbicide treatments when applied by UAVs in terrestrial and more specifically aquatic situations. Of equal importance, from an assessment perspective, is the ability to assess herbicide efficacy remotely using UAVs. In this paper, we use the latest photogrammetry software to assess a previously captured data set to assess the efficacy of several herbicides applied by UAV to an infestation of the invasive ponded pasture species Aleman grass (Echinochloa polystachya) in North Queensland. The entire process of pre-mapping, treating and assessing efficacy by UAV proved the validity of this approach for use in emergent aquatic weed control.