Reinventing the pod: Spray-down with the Randhawa brothers.

Article by the National Banana Development and Extension Program.

A 1 000 litre pod can be useful in many ways. After Panama TR4 was found in the Tully Valley, brothers Paramadeep and Harpreet Randhawa, like many banana growers, recycled one to use as a disinfectant spray-down unit at the entrance to their farm.

Paramadeep and Harpreet Randhawa started growing bananas in 2015, the same year that Panama TR4 was found in Queensland. To help protect their farm, they purchased a pod from a local fertiliser distributor and engaged a local electrical contractor to install a 12-volt pump, hose and spray wand. They used a spare tractor battery to power the pump and installed a solar trickle charger to keep it charged. The whole setup cost around $500 at the time.

Harpreet explained how they placed the spray-down unit at the start of the driveway to their shed.

“I can see it from the packing shed, so I can make sure everyone that comes onto the farm sprays their vehicle down,” Harpreet said.

In busy times the pod lasts about a month, so Harpreet tops up the pod with fresh disinfectant mixture as required. Paramadeep and Harpreet use a Quaternary Ammonium based disinfectant product which has been shown to be effective in killing the fungal spores that cause Panama disease. They have also installed a water supply to make refilling the pod easier.

The only hitch the brothers have come across is the solar panel doesn’t keep the battery charged when there are long periods of overcast wet weather. On these occasions they just take the battery back to the shed to charge it.

Paramadeep offered others who are thinking of making a spray-down unit with a pod some valuable advice.

“Make sure that the hose is long enough to be able to spray all around the longest truck that comes onto your farm,” said Paramadeep who is pleased with how everyone can now come clean and leave clean when coming to their farm.

“We have found that most people that come to our farm follow our instructions to spray down to help us to protect our business.’

Learn how to turn a 1 000 litre pod into a footbath.

To learn more ways to protect your farm at the gate through on-farm biosecurity, make a booking with the National Banana Development and Extension team.