A group of Wimmera and Mallee farmers are now equipped to wage a successful campaign against herbicide resistant weeds thanks to a week-long GRDC-funded study tour that took them through the northern cropping region of Western Australia.
The BCG initiative provided the growers with an opportunity to meet Western Australian farmers who are overcoming the challenges of herbicide-resistant wild radish populations and to learn from their experiences.
Berriwillock grain grower Garry Summerhayes said the study tour allowed the Victorian farmers to see that herbicide resistance did not necessarily mean a loss of productivity.
“We expected to find a doom and gloom story in Western Australia and to see paddocks completely choked with wild radish,” he said.
“Instead, what we found was clean and productive paddocks with shrinking weed populations and farmers who were still excited about the future of their businesses and their industry.”
The message repeated by Western Australian growers, agribusiness and researchers was: “if you are on to a good thing, change it.”
“It’s about not sticking to the one thing and thinking about weeds and farming systems in evolutionary terms,” said Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI) researcher Michael Ashworth.
“This has been the biggest shift in thinking for Western Australian farmers.”
During the tour the Victorians were shown a range of weed control and resistance management farming methods.
At the start of the tour AHRI researcher and Planfarm consultant Peter Newman told the Victorian delegation that it was a combination of chemical, cultural and mechanical methods that was helping Western Australian farmers win back the productivity of their paddocks.
As the week progressed, this statement proved to be undoubtedly true with farmers from Northhampton, Chapman Valley, Mingenew and Dalwallinu showcasing how they have used things like mouldboard ploughs, crop competition and narrow windrow burning, in conjunction with chemicals to control weeds.
At Bunjil and Buntine Bayer wild radish specialist Rick Horbury showed research trials that clearly demonstrated how effective or non-effective a range of herbicides were in controlling resistant wild radish.
With many Western Australian populations resistant to Group B, I and F herbicides, the Victorian growers were well convinced of the merits of rotating herbicide groups, using a two spray approach, using high water rates (above 70 litres) and controlling weeds when they are small.
“Hit them hard as soon as you can and don’t let them get out of control,” was the message from Liebe Farming Group president Gary Butcher.
“Even if you only have a patch of radish, get on to it now,” he said.
At the conclusion of the tour, the Victorian delegation said they would heed this message and were looking forward to implementing some of the practices being used by their Western Australian counterparts.
West Wimmera farmer Nathan Albrecht said he felt better equipped to manage the weed issues on his farm.
“We’ve had a go at narrow windrow burning and a few other things, but it was really valuable to learn how we might refine some of our existing practices and adopt some other techniques and tools that will help us to really get on top of our weeds,” he said.
Mallee farmer Nick Watson said the big take home message was to “be aggressive” when confronted with wild radish populations.
“We’ve got to be on time, really target our weeds when they are young and we can’t be complacent about a small patch here and there.”
For more information phone Cameron Taylor at BCG on (03) 5492 2787.
