Keeping glyphosate highly effective
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Cattle News
- Sep 05, 2018
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Keeping glyphosate highly effective is the aim of an upcoming free-of-charge glyphosate management workshop at Cascade.
With Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) investment, the Esperance port zone Regional Cropping Solutions Network (RCSN) group is helping to coordinate a third half-day workshop, following successful workshops at Dunn Rock and Condingup discussing best management practices for glyphosate.
Andrew Storrie, of AGRONOMO and the Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group (AGSWG), has organised the events, with assistance from agronomists Andrew Heinrich, of Farm & General, and Craig Brown, of Synergy/Craig Brown Consulting.
Mr Storrie says herbicide resistance levels in weeds will vary from paddock to paddock and testing of weeds is essential for growers to determine which herbicides work effectively on different parts of their farm.
“While soil testing is standard practice for most Western Australian growers, herbicide susceptibility testing is less common, despite also being very important in helping to boost crop productivity and profitability on-farm,” he said.
“Growers also need to ask themselves - what would they do if glyphosate stopped working on their properties like it has on many farms in the United States?
“You don’t want to paint yourself in that corner. Growers need to make informed weed management decisions and develop strategies to preserve remaining herbicide options.”
Mr Storrie encourages growers who find weeds that survive herbicide applications early in the season to send samples for a ‘Quick Test’ in which plants (mainly grasses) are tested for herbicide resistance (or susceptibility). Information about the Quick Test service is available at www.plantscienceconsulting.com.
“The test takes about four weeks to complete, meaning growers can take action in the same year to prevent seed set by any weeds confirmed as being herbicide resistant,” he said.
“Additionally, growers can send weed seeds collected during or after harvest for herbicide resistance testing, with this service available at www.plantscienceconsulting.com and http://bit.ly/2wFLZhv.”
Mr Storrie says more summer rain in many areas of the WA grainbelt in recent years means glyphosate is used all year and, without good integrated weed management plans in place, the risk of glyphosate resistance in a range of weed species is greatly increased.
“There are 17 weed species resistant to glyphosate in Australia and this number is expected to increase – along with the incidence of paraquat resistance (as its use increases to counter the risks of glyphosate resistance),” he said.
“The incidence of resistance to multiple herbicide modes of action is also rising.”
Mr Storrie said that, in addition to information about how and when to test for herbicide resistance, the Esperance port zone workshop at Cascade would include advice about:
* Summer fallow management options for key weeds
* Double knocks during summer – making it work
* Crop-topping alternatives to glyphosate
* New technologies
* Pesticide residues in grain.
The Cascade workshop will be held from 1-5pm on Wednesday, September 26, and will be followed by a barbecue.
To register or for more information, contact Mr Storrie on 0428 423 577 or andrew@agronomo.com.au
The AGSWG is supported by the GRDC and key research and development-based crop protection companies with an interest in the sustainability of glyphosate. The group’s website at www.glyphosateresistance.org.au has a range of information about glyphosate resistance, including a register of glyphosate-resistant weed populations and guides and links for the management and prevention of glyphosate resistance in different crops and management situations.
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