Rometron Australia has recently developed the Optispot 7, an orchard sprayer that brings WEED-IT optical spot spraying technology to nut and fruit growers.

The Optispot 7 has WEED-IT sensors that have been adjusted to allow operation at low heights, with a maximum boom height under trees of 600mm.

Rometron Australia engineering manager Hamish McIntosh said growers can expect to achieve savings of up to 90% on chemical usage. This is achieved by the WEED-IT sensors detecting active chlorophyll and spraying only weeds, not dirt.

Designed and manufactured in the Netherlands, WEED-IT technology is well established as the market leader for spot spraying technology with over 15,000 sensors operating in Australia.

The Optispot 7 orchard sprayer features 12 sensors for detecting and spraying across the whole row at row widths up to 7.3 m (wider rows possible on request). A version with six sensors is available for spraying under trees only, to accommodate a mid-row cover crop.

Other key features include adjustment for varying row widths, centre boom height adjustment for varying bed heights, break-away outer booms and spray suppression for reduced drift.

Mr McIntosh said with rising chemical costs, restrictions on available chemicals, chemical resistant weeds, MRL considerations and the environmental benefits of reduced chemical usage, the Optispot 7 provides a solution for meeting these challenges and saving money.

Darren Minter of Minter Magic at Iraak, near Red Cliffs Victoria said, “I’ve been looking for an orchard weed spot sprayer for 10 years. I’ve finally found one and it’s strongly built and does the job really well.

“Now I can run through more often, my blocks will always be clean and I’m saving a lot of money and putting a lot less chemical out in the orchard.”