C-Dax Eliminator
So here I believe is the solution this is
a C-Dax weed wiper. To simplify a description of its operation you can think of it a giant paint roller with weed killer on it which is then rubbed on the target weed.
The Eliminator has the added feature of a bar at the front that Bruises" the weed to allow more effective weed killer application - especially useful with rushes. If setup
correctly then there is very little waste of herbicide or risk of damage to non target plants.
The C-Dax website has PDF manuals on it.
Important update from DEFRA
I emailed DEFRA to clarify some points in that email reply they stated that:- 3. The new requirements for the inspection of application equipment do not come into force until 26 November 2016.
The
UK national action plan for the sustainable use of pesticides has, in annex 4, a list of equipment that is subject to a six year inspection interval. This includes Ground crop sprayer (mounted/trailed) boom less than 3m. I
assume from the description that you have given that the piece of equipment you use comes in this category (trailed weed wiper, having a 2.3m wiping width). It would, therefore, need to be inspected every six years.
To read the Gov report CLICK here
After
fitting the power supply cable and filling the tank with Roundup I
noticed a leak from the tank drain plug!It looks like the O-ring had perished
Apart from the leak and the delicate wiring, the main chassis are really solid. The frame is beautifully welded and then Galvanized. The height adjustment is simple and easy.
The draw bar can be installed in different positions to suit the height of the tow hitch.
The supply cable plug housing came apart while unplugging them, when the warranty period is over I will change them for more robust items. ( The warranty period in the UK according to the manual is only 6 months but a year in New Zealand)
The manual says to test the weep wiper is working fill it with plain water and set the control on position 7 until the carpets are dripping wet - it took over half a hour to get the carpets evenly wet, so not something to try with actual Herbicide. Because of the "teething" problems I have not been able to try it out for real.
To wet the wicks instead of using gallons of water or herbicide I used the garden hose attachment to get the desired effect - just stick it in the open end of the wool wicks. Then wipe the excess water of with a GLOVED HAND as there might be chemical on the wicks. Assuming the tank already has the chemicals in it, and the Weed Wiper is parked over something that is not going to matter - such as concrete, put the pump on full until the herbicide starts to drip from the wicks, this should be a only a minute as the wicks are already wet which allows the herbicide to move to the surface quicker. Switch the control off. After the drips have stopped we are ready to go. Once in the field where the weeds are you have to set the dial between 1 and 7. I have so far found that 3 is a good setting for our rushes.
Wetting the wicks
18th October 2015
This a photo of Good Field which is about 3 hectares with a lot of rushes in rows! - this was caused by leaving windrows of mown grass in the field.
Here I wanted to use a herbicide that was made to deal with rushes i.e. Roundup ProBio . The Weed wiper was bought out it took nearly an hour to cover the field (the wiper is only supposed to travel at around 8MPH). I used 8.6 litres (1:10 mixture) of the herbicide mixture.
However in the email reply from DEFRA they also stated that:-2. "Roundup ProBio" (MAPP 15539) is authorised as a herbicide for professional use, on a wide range of crops. The authorisation for use also expires on 30 June 2018. You may, therefore, use up the product, BUT to continue after 25 November you will need a specified certificate. From 26 November 2015 everyone who uses a professional product, including those who previously relied on "grandfather rights", must hold a specified certificate.1. MAPP 08172 is "Roundup Ultra 3000", a home garden weed killer. It is
authorised for use on areas not intended to bear vegetation, unwanted
vegetation, and unwanted vegetation (stump). The authorisation for use
of existing stocks expires on 30 June 2018. It will, therefore, be OK to
carry on using it after 25 November. However, it is important that you
undertake a risk assessment. When amateur products are assessed, certain
assumptions are made, for example on the length of time the user would
be exposed to it. You may, therefore, decide that you need to wear
personal protective equipment (PPE), which would not be required for an
amateur user.
So I need to use up the rest of the 4 liter container quickly and the weather does not look good
Good Field before wiping
Here is a picture of the rushes looking like they maybe dying back.
I can be difficult to tell as rushes seem to die back in the winter anyway.
Mole Avon hosted a Safe Use of Pesticides training course (PA1) the course was run by Hush Farms.
I attended and found the course both interesting and useful. Oh and I passed.
The Weed wiper practical assessment was held on our farm on 9th August. I also took PA6 which covers weed wipers.
As I passed PA6 now I can continue the attack on the rushes.
Camp Rushmoor - rushes a couple of days after wiping Aug 2016 2017
So its 2017 well nearly the end of 2017 (December!) So where are we in the campaign. Well many of the fields that had heavy rush growth seem to have a lot less, however the weed wiper is not a magic bullet it will need a few years because every year the rushes were allowed to seed, the problem just gets bigger with rush seeds lasting many years in the soil.Because our fields are very different I have broken the results into separate pages:-
Stags Orchard
Camprush Moor 22 Dec 2016 after topping