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28 August 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Shawnee County leaders discuss what the future holds for the life of a harmful weed.
Shawnee County Commissioners met Monday morning to hear a presentation by the county’s noxious weed department. While that presentation mostly focused on current operations, there was also talk about what the future could look like. One possible future they’re looking into is the use of drones.
According to the noxious weed department director, they’re working with the state to get that implementation process started sooner than later, eyeing fall of next year or early 2025.
They’ve been looking into the use of drones for about two years now. The efficiency drones bring to the table would help elevate the department to the next level, building upon the current use of a small drone the department has for weed identification and inspections.
“Drones are going to save us putting guys in areas they shouldn’t be, where they could potentially get hurt,” Noxious Weed Department Director John Landon said. “It’s going to allow us to treat those areas more effectively and more efficiently. Drones can apply herbicides at a much faster rate then a guy can with a truck, or by hand.”
With that efficiency comes vital training for operating a drone. The department is hoping to send a team member for training and certification in January. If they’re able to make that training happen, it could be a big step for the state; potentially being one of the first noxious weed counties in Kansas to have that type of drone use.