Five young innovators from Pretoria are taking on an environmental challenge in the Magaliesberg with their invention designed to make conservation work easier.
The Laerskool Wonderboom learners – Gerhard Krogh, Reinard Froneman, Wian Meij, Olivia Pretorius and Kiara Lewis – form part of the school’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team BOTaniX, have developed a brush-cutter attachment that combines cutting invasive plants with the application of herbicide.
According to one of the parents, Elizabeth Pretorius, the project focuses on controlling Lantana camara, an invasive alien plant that spreads aggressively and competes with indigenous vegetation, threatening biodiversity in the Magaliesberg.
Removing the plant is not as simple as cutting it down, as Pretorius explained that untreated stumps can regrow, meaning conservation volunteers traditionally have to cut the plant before separately applying herbicide to the freshly cut stump.
“The team’s innovation aims to combine these steps by incorporating a controlled herbicide dispenser into a brush cutter, allowing operators to cut and treat the plant in one operation,” she said.
Pretorius said the solution is intended to reduce the time and effort needed to control lantana while improving the precision of herbicide application.
This could be particularly useful for conservation volunteers who often work with limited resources.
Field trials test prototype
The learners recently took their prototype into the field during trials on November 7, working alongside Hilko Lubbinge from Friends of the Magalies and Thabakolo Environmental Solutions.
Two brush-cutters were used during the exercise, giving the team an opportunity to evaluate its invention under practical conditions.
National competition beckons
The project has already earned the learners recognition. BOTaniX received the Core Values Award at the FLL regional competition on October 17, securing a place at the national competition in Johannesburg on December 4 and 5.
The five learners will represent Laerskool Wonderboom at the national event, where they will showcase their work alongside other young innovators.
Through the project, the team demonstrates how robotics, research and creative thinking can be applied to real environmental challenges, with the potential to support efforts to protect the Magaliesberg.
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