Lantana Spraying with Drones in the Wide Bay & Burnett

2024/25 Lantana Spraying Season Overview

The 2024/25 season for lantana spraying has proven to be successful, with some really great results across the South Burnett and Wide Bay. Several factors contributed to this positive outcome:

• Early Rain and Bloom: The early bloom of lantana, triggered by early season rains, allowed for an earlier start to the spraying activities than usual.

• Extended Season: With the first frost occurring later than expected, the spraying season has been slightly extended. This extension has allowed for more effective management of lantana growth.

  
  

Overall, the combination of favorable weather conditions and timely interventions has led to a productive spraying season for lantana in 2024/25. We were impacted somewhat by increased winds in the later part of the season; however, all in all, we achieved the required outcomes we were chasing. With winter now well and truly upon us, we will put lantana on hold until the next growing season.

Anticipating the Future

With a wet winter and summer of 2025 predicted, we expect another big year for lantana growth. If you would like to discuss your spraying requirements with us for the coming season, get in contact as soon as possible to get placed on the schedule.

Key Tips for Spraying Lantana

We thought we should share some key tips for spraying lantana, hoping that you may take something away from this that will assist you.

Chemical Choice for Lantana Control

When managing lantana, it is crucial to select the appropriate herbicide. Here are some recommended options:

Recommended Herbicides

• Triclopyr/Picloram - A selective herbicide effective against woody weeds. Some common brands include Graizon, Graizon Extra, Regrowth, and Raizon.

• Glyphosate - A non-selective herbicide.

  
  

Benefits of Selective Herbicides

Using selective herbicides is beneficial, especially when spraying near desirable species, such as grasses. This is particularly important for graziers. It's a great option when you need to retain the feed that exists around the lantana bushes.

Considerations for Glyphosate

While glyphosate can yield excellent results, it is not a selective herbicide. This means it will kill all species present in the sprayed area, which may not be desirable in certain situations. It is best for spraying broad blankets of lantana or for spot spraying by hand.

More is Not Always Better

Quite often, people make the mistake of "giving it an extra splash," meaning they add more chemical than required, thinking it will yield a better result. In these cases, it can actually have the reverse effect. Having too much chemical in your mix can burn the leaves of the plant too quickly, causing them to die and fall off before a thorough intake of the chemical into the bush's stems has occurred. Always follow label recommendations.

Using a Quality Penetrant

When using glyphosate or other herbicides, ensure you incorporate a quality penetrant. We prefer Pulse or Devour for enhanced effectiveness. However, always follow label recommendations and ensure your chosen penetrant or wetter is compatible with your herbicide.

Coverage

Ensure the bush is completely covered. When spraying by hand, make sure the coverage is thorough enough to cause runoff. If using a drone, pay attention to the application height, speed, and distribution rate. It is crucial to apply the chemical effectively on the bush with a good droplet spectrum. Going too fast or too high could affect your penetration levels.

Lantana is known for its resilience, as it can regrow from even the smallest surviving root. It is well understood that the smaller the bush, the easier it is to achieve an effective kill. Therefore, early intervention is best when dealing with lantana. If the bushes are larger than 5 feet, follow-up treatment may be required for those hard-to-kill bushes.

Maintenance

Maintenance is key with lantana. We have observed that areas cleared of lantana can see its return years later if not maintained. Lantana requires ongoing maintenance; if you don't keep it under control, it will quickly become unmanageable.

Once you have an area cleared, ensure you are keeping on top of new growth. Slashing, spot spraying, and even heavy grazing are all effective ways to manage new seedlings.

Conclusion

I hope these tips assist you in your coming season if you undertake your own spraying. As I mentioned earlier, if you would like us to assist with your management in the coming season, get in contact as soon as possible to be placed in the 25/26 schedule.

Take care,

Jaimen.

Lantana 2 weeks post drone spraying (from this season) with selective herbicides. Note the grass has not been affected. A perfect example of the correct chemical intake and not 'burning the plant.'