Control in a high input cost year
With the cost of glyphosate sitting at about $14 a litre, is it still worth spraying summer weeds?
Weedsmart’s western extension agronomist Peter Newman says yes; spraying summer weeds is one of the greatest returns on investment in modern agriculture – preserving soil nitrogen and moisture reserves for the following crop.
“As Dr James Hunt’s research at La Trobe University showed, the top foot of soil will dry out over summer, regardless of how much stubble is on the soil surface, but transpiration by summer weeds is the only mechanism that can remove water from below 30cm,” he said.
In the face of high herbicide costs this season, growers who normally spray summer weeds as soon as they appear might be wondering if the benefit still outweighs the cost.
“I believe it will still be worthwhile because summer spraying preserves soil nitrogen, which is also very expensive, and the outlook for high grain prices is strong,” Mr Newman said.
“Even though input costs will be higher than previous years, the benefits are likely to be significant as grain prices strengthen for the 2022 season.”
People wanting more information about summer weed management can visit website, weedsmart.org.au.
Weedsmart is the industry voice delivering science-backed weed control solutions to enhance on-farm practices and promote the long term, sustainable use of herbicides in Australian agriculture.