New Technology Targets Weedy Patches Before They Emerge

New Technology Targets Weedy Patches Before They Emerge Grain farmers have historically managed weeds by spraying entire fields with herbicides, hoping to limit or eliminate weed pressure and impact. But with constantly rising costs and growing environmental concerns, greater efficiency and cost discipline are demanded. Geco, a weed management company, believes weed control should start before weeds appear, not after they’ve already reduced yield and forced expensive in-season decisions. The company’s Strategic Weed Management program recognizes that in-field weed patches leave patterns. By analyzing roughly 5 years of satellite imagery from a field, often more than 100 images in Canada, Geco says it can identify where unwanted plants have consistently emerged, distinguish weed behavior from crop behavior over time, and estimate where the underground seedbank is most likely to compete in the next season. The result is a prescription that farmers can load directly into their existing equipment. “Our predictive map allows grain farmers to focus extra attention on weedy patches,” says Geco CEO Greg Stewart. “Resulting actions can be more focused herbicide application, variable-rate seeding, and in-season sprays on the worst parts of a field rather than treating every acre the same.” Geco is also working to identify weed types, but currently they’re reliably distinguishing between crop and weed pressure and highlighting the worst-performing portions of a field, which is often the key information a grower needs to create an action plan. Geco’s most popular service option is a 3-year subscription. “When dealing with an underground seedbank, it’s best to enact sustained action to deal with it, as seedbanks don’t disappear after a single herbicide pass,” Stewart explains. The 3-year subscription currently starts at about $2.50 per acre per year, with maps refreshed over time so farmers can respond across a crop rotation rather than in isolated seasons. The map becomes a crucial long-term strategy for sustained pressure on persistent weed patches. Just as important, the service doesn’t require a major operational overhaul. Prescriptions can be integrated into existing platforms and equipment, and Stewart says their predictive maps can be delivered in less than a day. “We don’t make recommendations of what and when to spray, as generally this is a decision the farmer and the agronomist make together relative to existing control programs with an existing crop and herbicide rotation plan,” he states. Stewart says Geco has no direct competitors and outperforms other service providers in the weed-control sector. “Optical spot sprayers and targeted control typically work alongside sprayer boom cameras, applying herbicides as weeds are seen,” he says. “We make predictions about where they’ll come up before they get out of the ground. I’d say our biggest competitor is the status quo, where people spray by broadcast or by memory. That strategy still owns much more market share than anything else.” Geco is expanding and currently works with about 180 farms, primarily in the Prairie Provinces. They’ve also begun expanding into the U.S. Midwest. Geco has entered into partnerships, including one with the Canadian herbicide company Gowan. Arrangements with Gowan provide cost-saving incentives and bonus product deliveries when purchasing new weed control equipment. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Geco Strategic Weed Management, Canada (ph 604-809-0430; info@geco-ag.com; www.geco-ag.com).

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