Improved weed control in coastal NSW grain production
The northern NSW coastal grain production region has been identified as an area where increased grain production is a targeted objective. This region is characterised as a high rainfall farming system, typically beef cattle + grain, or sugarcane + grain cropping.
As growers’ transition into increased grain production, any negative experiences due to wrong agronomic decision making is likely to have significant and lasting consequences on further adoption of a grains rich farming system.
Weeds are a major constraint to productivity in this area and failure to employ the latest knowledge and technology can have significant impacts across the entire farming system. Issues such as herbicide resistance and crop injury due to herbicide carryover have been highlighted as issues impacting grain production, while other concerns related to identification of emerging weeds, best practice spray application and drift management are also important to growers.
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GRDC has identified the need for enhanced extension in weed management in this region. ICAN will lead a 30 month project to assist local growers in upskilling their weed management knowledge and decision making via a diverse range of extension pathways.
⇩ Workshop notes ⇩ Herbicide resistance testing ⇩ Extension resources
Over the course of the project, ICAN has hosted series of 1-day workshops and extension seminars designed to provide grain growers with the latest information on weed management and control tactics. See below for resources from these workshops.
2022 Coastal Pre-Emergent Herbicide workshops
In 2022 a series of 1-day workshops on pre-emergent emergent herbicides were held. Notes available below
GRDC coastal weeds workshop notes, July 2022 (Pre emergent herbicides)
Webinar on coastal weeds
In May 2022, a webinar was run for coastal growers and advisers on coastal weed management. A recording of the webinar is available below.
2021 Coastal Post-Emergent Herbicide workshops
In 2021 a series of 1-day workshops on post emergent herbicides were held. Notes available below
GRDC coastal weeds workshop notes, November 2021 (post emergent herbicides)
Results from the herbicide resistance testing conducted in 2023 were reported in a webinar held 7th of December 2023.
A recording of the webinar is available below.PDF of slides from the resistance testing webinar
Over the course of this project, this page will be updated with weed management resources applicable to coastal grains production.
- GRDC Fact Sheet - Weeds in coastal grains farming systems
- Soy Australia weed management manual
- GRDC coastal weeds workshop notes, November 2021 (post emergent herbicides)
- Summer crop management guide 2019 (NSW DPI)
- Weed control in summer crops (2012-13) (NSW DPI)
- GRDC GrowNote Soybean North weeds section (GRDC)
- Nutgrass control using sempra in herbicide tolerant soybean varieties (Pulse Australia blog post)
- Using Sempra to control nutgrass in tolerant soybean variaties (Soy Australia fact sheet, June 2020)
- Rotational crop constraints for herbicides used in Australian farming systems (GRDC reference manual, July 2019)
- Soil behaviour of pre-emergent herbicides in Australian farming systems: a reference manual for agronomic advisers (GRDC reference manual, October 2019)
- Understanding post-emergent herbicide weed control in Australian farming systems (GRDC reference manual, January 2020)
- Weed management in sugarcane manual (Sugar research Australia)