Professional crop sprayers sprayed the first herbicide on the Vaal River this morning

VAAL TRIANGLE - In a bid to tackle the rampant spread of Water Lettuce in the Vaal River, Vaal River Rats SA announced that professional crop sprayers and drone operators started with the first spray of herbicide on the Water Lettuce this morning. The application of the herbicide Glyphosate typically takes at least seven days to manifest visible damage to water lettuce and hyacinth and two weeks for full effectiveness. According to Vaal River Rats, following the initial spray, further mop-up operations will be conducted to ensure comprehensive coverage, spraying of areas that were missed, utilizing both drones and boat-mounted herbicide spray systems. Rand Water, in collaboration with community members, will oversee these efforts.