Vehicle and machinery hygiene - weed control

Vehicles or machinery operating or moving through weed infestations can become contaminated with invasive plant seeds or reproductive material. These can then travel long distances on the vehicle or machinery to new locations.

Reproductive material can include any part of a plant that is capable of growing to become a new plant (for example, a bulb, rhizome, stolon, tuber, stem, leaf cutting or stem or root fragment).

There is a real risk that these seeds or soil and mud containing the seeds will fall from contaminated or dirty machinery or vehicles in agricultural production or environmentally sensitive locations where an invasive plant infestation may become a long-term and costly problem.

Under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015, people and carriers have a duty to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the biosecurity risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised.

What can you do to minimise the risks?

There is a range of simple measures producers and contractors can use to minimise any biosecurity threat, including:

• Avoid driving off-road in areas known to contain declared plants (such as parthenium weed) or in other areas that present a risk of vehicle or machinery contamination.
• Do not drive through infested paddocks.
• Ensure clothing and footwear is free of soil and plant material before stepping into vehicles.
• Avoid driving or working in contaminated areas in wet or dewy conditions.
• Clean vehicles and machinery suspected of carrying soil or plant material.
• Begin work in clean areas or in areas with the least amount of infestation and work towards infested or high-density areas.
• Keep roads, laneways and buffer zones free of invasive plants.
• Where possible, work infested areas separately and clean down equipment thoroughly before moving to another area.
• Avoid slashing and other work in infested areas during peak seed production times.
• Secure loads (e.g. grain, fodder) if you suspect they contain weed seeds.

Apart from adopting these simple guidelines, it is important that vehicles and machinery are thoroughly cleaned – come clean, leave clean!

Operators and landholders should consider the use of temporary clean-down areas on their properties, even when moving from paddock-to-paddock if there is a high risk of weed contamination. There are also public facilities in many local government areas where more thorough cleaning can be carried out, where silt and grease traps can trap contaminates and reduce environmental risk.

Image: Avoid slashing and other work in infested areas during peak seed production times. This picture shows slasher blades surrounded by collected plant matter including seeds and cuttings. 

Useful tips

Wherever you clean your machinery, some useful tips to keep in mind include:

• Examine the item to determine how much mud, soil and plant material has built up.
• Identify any areas that require special attention as outlined in the specific vehicle or machinery procedures (e.g. radiators, spare tyres, behind guards and protective plates). Some of these may be difficult to locate and access. Remove the necessary guards or belly plates to access these areas for cleaning.
• Identify any areas that must be cleaned with compressed air rather than water. Clean these first.
• Where possible clean from the top down.
• Clean upper body and cabin then under the guards and underneath the machinery/vehicle and then do the attachments or implements.
• Clean all toolboxes and storage compartments.
• Check that all areas have been cleaned.
• Replace the guards. (Remember that belly plates and other guards on heavy machinery may need to be replaced before moving the machinery.)
• Move the clean vehicle or machinery carefully, avoiding recontamination. If necessary, wash any remaining mud, soil or plant material from the tyres or tracks.
• Record the details of the cleaning on the appropriate forms or in the vehicle or machinery logbook.
• Present the vehicle or machinery to an inspector if required.
• Dispose of any plant material according to the relevant guidelines.

While all of this might seem very straightforward, how often can you say that you have done everything you could have to minimise the threat of weed contamination and spread?

Following these guidelines will not only minimise the real threat of a biosecurity incident or incursion, but will also ensure you fulfil your legal obligations and responsibilities.

Reducing these threats is everyone’s responsibility.

Cleaning machinery and farm vehicles

Always start with a clean machine that has been washed down by the operator before they start work. Hard, caked on dirt will be the most difficult to remove if it has been allowed to dry after previous work.

Slashers, mowers, excavators and backhoes are the major contributors to weed spread

When in dry conditions, blowing down machinery is the best way to clean.

Parts to check

Linkages - places ideal for seed to lodge

Body

• underside including sills
• safety chains
• topsides including sills

Buckets - inside and outside

Wheels  - inside and outside

Tracks - inside and outside

Images showing key vehicle spots to check and clean

4WD vehicle

Shows radiator grill and engine bay, cabin floor, mats, pedals and seat, chassis, tyres, underside, wheel arches and wheel guards.

Bulldozer 

Shows chassis, cabin floor mats, pedals and seat, air cleaner, radiator grill and engine bay, blade and hydraulic rams, underside, rippers frame and arms, tracks, drive sprocket rollers and idlers, track chains and plates, A-frame.

Backhoe

Shows chassis, air cleaner, cabin floor, mats, pedals and seat, backhoe buckets and boom, stabilisers, wheel arches, underside, footstep, wheels and running gear, blade, front end loader boom and hydraulics, radiator grill and engine bay. 

Excavator

Shows cabin floor, mats, pedals and seat, turntable and track frame, air cleaner, radiator grill and engine bay, chassis, cabin floor mats, pedals and seat, boom, buckets and other attachments, tracks, track chains and plates, drive sprocket rollers and idlers.