Using diversity on weeds
The Big 6 of weed control
THIS year WeedSmart is taking its annual flagship event, WeedSmart Week, to the Northern region.
The event kicks off in Narrabri in New South Wales on Monday, August 20, with the WeedSmart Forum. The theme is Diversify and Conquer – Manage Weeds
Using the Big 6. The WeedSmart team is excited to be facilitating speakers from across the country and providing farm visits to the top growers in the region.
Growers and agronomists will deliver key messages on using diversity to control weeds at a one-day forum on August 20 at Locharba Station, Narrabri.
Farm visits will take place on August 21–22 and will give attendees the opportunity to talk directly to growers and farm managers about their farming systems.
Please note, a seat on the bus for farm visits is guaranteed to those who have attended the forum day.
The WeedSmart team is looking forward to meeting everyone in Narrabri.
You can learn more about the event and purchase tickets by visiting weedsmart.org.au.
As mentioned above, WeedSmart Week is shaped around the WeedSmart Big 6. Here’s a breakdown of the Big 6, which you can also read online and access further resources at weedsmart.org.au/the-big-6.
1. Rotate crops and pastures
Use double break crops, fallow and pasture phases to drive the weed seedbank
down over consecutive years.
2. Double knock to protect glyphosate
Follow glyphosate with a high rate of paraquat to control survivors in a fallow or pre-sowing situation.
3. Mix and rotate herbicide groups
Rotate between herbicide groups. Use different groups within the same herbicide mix. Always use full rates.
4. Stop weed seed set Crop top canola, pulses and feed barley (currently under permit) in weedy paddocks. Consider hay, brown manure or long fallow in high-pressure paddocks. Spray top/spray fallow pasture prior to the cropping phase.
5. Crop competition Adopt at least one competitive strategy (but two is better), including reduced row spacing, higher seeding rates, east-west sowing and competitive varieties.
6. Harvest Weed Seed Control (HWSC)
Capture weed seed survivors using chaff lining, chaff tramlining, chaff carts, narrow windrow burning or integrated seed destructors.