Gorse Spraying in Winter: A Katikati Case Study
The result: a saving bigger than the spray bill
Before our drone sprayed a single drop across 8 hectares near Katikaiti, one suggestion saved the farmer more on chemical than he paid for the job.
Chemistry saving: $3000 saved against a job cost of $1400.
Quick facts:
Area treated: 8 hectares
Location: Katikati, Bay of Plenty
Problem: Established gorse
Service: Precision drone spraying, plus the herbicide suggestion behind it
XAG P150 Drone spraying herbicide over a gorse-covered hillside in Katikati
How The Katikati Gorse Job Came About
The Gorse Problem
A farmer in Katikati was dealing with a stubborn gorse problem. He had tackled it before, once with a helicopter operator and more recently with another drone operator, and neither job had left him happy. The last operator’s attitude and standard of work sent him looking for someone who understood what he was trying to achieve.
He found us over the fence. We were spraying the property next door when he came over and asked for a price on his own gorse.
The product the farmer had in mind
He had a plan worked out and a product picked: Tordon XT. It does the job, but it carries two costs for his situation. The chemical is very expensive, and it can struggle in winter, which was when he needed to spray.
The Alternative We Suggested
As part of our quote, we offered him another option: Associate, a metsulfuron-methyl herbicide. It costs roughly a tenth of Tordon XT, and its label backs gorse control in winter conditions.
Same result he was after, at a fraction of the chemical cost, and better suited to the season he was spraying in. He liked the idea and went with it.
The job:
We sprayed 8 hectares of gorse that was scattered across 40 hectares by drone.
Why the herbicide suggestion was there to make
Plenty of operators will fly exactly the job you order and leave it at that. We come at it differently, because we read the label, the season and the chemistry as closely as we read the paddock.
That gorse saving came from one thing: knowing how these two chemicals behave in winter. Tordon XT can lose its edge in the cold, and metsulfuron-methyl holds its claim through it. A grower has a hundred things to track and no reason to carry that detail. The person flying the job should.
A science background is what puts that option on the table. We understand how the chemicals work, why timing changes the outcome, and where a cheaper product does the same job. You still make the call. We just make sure you are choosing from everything available, not only the first product that comes to mind.
Client kept anonymous at their request.
XAG P150 Drone spraying herbicide over a gorse-covered hillside in Katikati