Map and Zap using lasers instead of chemicals to kill weeds

Map and Zap uses lasers to kill weeds.

A Palmerston North man behind a new invention using lasers to kill weeds says it could help stem a reliance on using chemicals to combat unwanted species in agriculture.

Map and Zap creator Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar said it has the potential to change the way New Zealand’s agricultural sector approaches weed control.

Dr Ghamkhar said the Map and Zap idea was first hatched 8 years ago after seeing the need for chemical-free weed eradication in a variety of agricultural industries.

Ghamkhar, director of the Margot Forde Genebank at AgResearch in Palmerston North, said the AI-driven weed identification and laser-zapping technology minimised the need for chemical herbicides.

Dr Kioumars Ghamkhar.

It could be attached to existing farm machinery and used artificial intelligence to identify an unwanted weed at the early stage of life. It was then zapped by a 300C laser, killing it to the root.

“Think of it like ‘see and spray’ technology, but using lasers instead of spray. And, without the off-target damage to surrounding crop or pasture,” he said.

Map and Zap software can be programmed to what species it sprays. Trial results had been “overwhelmingly positive”. It had currently been programmed to identify and zap 16 different species, with the potential to kill more, Ghamkhar said.

“The system is getting smarter... it’s reliable. It’s quite exciting.”

He initially thought of using drones equipped with lasers, but had to bring it “back down to earth a bit” and invent and adapt it for ground application.

Ghamkhar said after talking to farmers it became obvious they wanted alternatives to chemical controls. The beauty of zapping weeds with lasers is that it gets them early before they seed and spread.

“It targets small, early germinating weeds – diluting the seed bank and preventing widespread infestations – it offers a new tech pathway that, over time, can reduce our need to reach for the spray,” he said.

Map and Zap prototypes had been proven to do the job. Now it just needed fine-tuning and investment to get it to market.

“We need investment to move it forward,” he said.

An estimated $1.8 million of further investment could see Map and Zap available commercially within 18 months, he said.

A unit had a current price tag estimated at $100,000. The challenge now was to make it affordable. Cost-effectiveness has been a key design consideration for the engineering team so that it could be fitted to existing machinery.

Horticulture, timber plantations and broadacre crops are just some areas of agricultural that could benefit from a reduction in chemical spray use, while some species had already become spray-resistant, he said.

Map and Zap had the potential to be used globally.

“Herbicide-resistant weeds have been reported in around 100 crops in more than 70 countries,” he said.

Although it was his baby, there was a team behind Map and Zap, including laser scientists, integration experts, and mechatronics specialists, all based in New Zealand.

Bringing a team of experts together demonstrated how small, interconnected communities can accelerate innovation and impact, although it needed big markets to sustain growth.

Australia was being eyed as an obvious target market for Map and Zap.

“For us, Australia is very attractive. And it’s a very good next step before we tackle the rest of the world,” he said.

“We’ve had strong support from both Australia and New Zealand in the early development of our technology... across the agtech ecosystem more broadly, there are untapped opportunities for real trans-Tasman collaboration to allow both countries to leverage their strengths and address shared challenges more effectively.”

“The cliffhanger will be in getting the product to market – and in the hands of farmers across both sides of the ditch.”

Meanwhile, he hadn’t shelved the initial idea of having Map and Zap drones.