Australia’s first artificial intelligence weed identification, notification and management app is the latest weapon in the arsenal to fight weeds.
WeedScan is a free, easy-to-use digital tool that enables users to identify, report and map priority weeds simply by scanning the suspected weed.
Already the app has had more than 10,000 downloads since its launch in December 2023 and users have submitted more than 3000 weed records from around the country.
One of the key features of WeedScan is that it can identify many new and emerging priority weeds — not garden weeds — that may be unknown to most people.
These are the weeds that have the potential to become the next big threat, if left unchecked.
WeedScan can alert users and local authorities of these incursions, allowing them to take swift and effective action. It can also provide users with links to local weed management information and best practice guidelines.
The Australian-made app is not a substitute for human expertise, but a complement. It can help users learn more about weeds and their impacts while connecting them with others who share their concerns and goals.
The app is supported by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, CSIRO, NSW DPI and the South Australian, Queensland and Victorian governments and was funded by the Federal Government’s National Landcare Program.
Find the WeedScan app at: https://weedscan.org.au/