THE 18th annual NSW Weeds Conference will be held at the Cooma Multi-Function Centre from October 12-15.
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Titled Weeds - the Future: Innovation and Adaptation, 2015 is the first year that Cooma has hosted this innovative conference.
Around 200 delegates are expected to attend to discuss the critical issue of finding cost-effective ways to control the noxious weeds that inhabit our region, destroy pasture and pose serious fire risks.
One of the presenters will be a farmer-turned-inventor from Bega named Robert Burgess, who has designed and built a machine that has proven effective in the eradication of African lovegrass.
Mr Burgess based his machine on the concept of "roller wiping", where a device containing a rotating roller covered with carpet is dragged behind a tractor or quadbike.
Using a tank and a pumping mechanism, the rotating carpet is kept soaked in weed killer, which is distributed to the weeds on contact as the device passes over them.
"I've got a 1200 acre family farm on which I run some cattle and sheep and African lovegrass has been a huge headache for me for many years," Mr Burgess said.
"I tried slashing and other methods but nothing worked.”
Mr Burgess eventually switched to roller wiping but found that the existing machines, that had been designed for less demanding environments, could not cope with dense lovegrass or with the challenging terrain in the South East NSW region that often contains rocks, stumps and other obstacles.
So he built his machine and fitted it with hydraulic drive and hydraulic lift.
The height of the rollers can be adjusted to the level of the tall lovegrass, which means native pastures lower down do not receive the poison.
The machines will cost around $18,000 ex-GST and he hopes to make some available for hire.
Mr Burgess will demonstrate his machine at the Monaro Agricultural Trade Exhibition at the Cooma Showground from 10am on October 14, which is being held in conjunction with the weeds conference.
For more information on the conference, visit www.weedscooma.com.au.