Innovative Solutions for County Weed Management

Saving Pesticide and Time through Better Mapping

How two counties in North Dakota embrased SprayLogger to reduce waste and lost time

BACKGROUND

The battle against invasive weeds in North Dakota posed significant challenges for Jamen Windish, a member of the Barnes County Weed Board. According to Jamen, “The biggest challenge in the fight against invasives in North Dakota was funding. Chemical is expensive, fuel is expensive, and the hours spent filling out reports by hand were becoming costly as well.” He recognized the need for a more efficient solution that could track spray areas and reduce waste.

THE CHALLENGE

In 2022, the North Dakota Department of Agriculture received a federal grant to assist counties in updating their mapping systems for noxious weed management. Samantha Brunner, the Plant Industries Division Director for the ND Department of Agriculture, explained, “Many counties were no longer using those units because they were out of date or broken. It was time for a statewide upgrade. The Ag Department looked for a solution that would assist these counties.” The grant covered 75% of the technology cost, up to $7,600 per county.

THE SOLUTION

Jamen heard about AgTerra through a neighboring weed officer and decided to try their SprayLogger system. Starting with just one spray rig outfitted with an AgTerra’s SprayLogger system, Jamen was able to pinpoint inefficiencies and quickly identify employee mistakes. The savings in labor costs and improved accuracy in reporting were evident. Jamen stated, “Soon, the savings were evident, both in terms of labor costs and inaccuracies in reporting.”

“We are continually looking for ways to improve our spray systems and increase efficiency. The ActionMappers provided by AgTerra streamlined efficiency and reduced overspray, resulting in improved coverage.”

Cody Wegner

Assistant Weed Control Officer, Stutsman County Weed Control

IMPLEMENTATION

Ron Manson, the Weed Officer of Stutsman County, was one of the first to take advantage of the grant. Having already experienced the time-saving benefits of AgTerra’s SprayLogger, Ron applied for the grant to outfit the rest of his fleet with new data loggers. According to Cody Wegner, Assistant Weed Control Officer at Stutsman County Weed Control, “We are continually looking for ways to improve our spray systems and increase efficiency.” The ActionMappers provided by AgTerra streamlined their efficiency and reduced overspray, resulting in improved coverage.

The savings were evident, both in terms of labor costs and inaccuracies in reporting.

James Windish

Weed Director, Barnes County, North Dakota

RESULTS

• Efficiency: The integration of AgTerra’s technology extended beyond efficiency and accuracy. Ron stated, “The most important benefit for us has been the role it has played in spray damage complaints. It allows us concrete proof (of where we sprayed) to provide the accusing party. To date, we have used this software to efficiently resolve two claims.” • Accountability: By leveraging state-of-the-art technology like SprayLogger and ActionMapper, Barnes and Stutsman Counties successfully combated invasive species in North Dakota. These innovative solutions empowered weed officers like Jamen Windish and Ron Manson to stay ahead in the ongoing battle against noxious weeds.

CONCLUSION

By leveraging state-of-the-art technology like SprayLogger and ActionMapper, both Barnes and Stutsman Counties were able to maximize the impact of their weed control efforts while effectively utilizing state funds. These innovative solutions not only improved efficiency and accuracy but also empowered weed officers like Jamen Windish and Ron Manson to stay ahead in the ongoing battle against invasive species in North Dakota.

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