There is no denying that the effectiveness of knockdown herbicides can vary, particularly when weeds are large and stressed.
In a bid to better understand how knockdown herbicides perform, particularly in dry conditions, BCG has established a demonstration at its Horsham research site.
The demonstration is testing a range of commonly used knockdown herbicide brews at standard and high rates.
BCG commercial services manager Cameron Taylor established the demonstration specifically to look at the effectiveness of herbicides on fallow paddocks and pastures and to quantify any rate response.
Products being trailed include Weedmaster Agro® (at low, medium and high rates), Roundup CT®, Gramoxone® (at standard and high rates), Sprayseed® (at standard and high rates), Paratrooper® (at standard and high rates), Alliance®.
Also being looked at are herbicide mixes, with spikes, such as Weedmaster DST plus Gramoxone, Alliance plus Atrazine, Weedmaster DST® plus Amicide Advance 700®, Weedmaster DST plus Goal®, Weedmaster DST plus Hammer®, Weedmaster DST plus Sharpen ®, Weedmaster DST 1.5L/ha plus Terrain®, Weedmaster DST plus Ally®, Weedmaster DST plus Ecopar® and Weedmaster DST plus Pyresta®.
According to Mr Taylor, who presented the demonstration to agronomists at the BCG Industry Day on September 18, all products were doing a “good job”, however the brews which included glyphosate at a rate of over 1.5l/ha, and a spike were (visually) looking to be doing the best job on hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds.
The knockdown demonstration is just one of a number of BCG research trials looking at weed control.
Complementing this research are trials looking at weed-competitive barley varieties and rotations that aim to reduce the weed seedbank.
At Jil Jil (north of Birchip), BCG is also managing a research trial investigating how row spacing and sowing direction influence the ability for a wheat crop to compete with weeds.
The research, which is being carried out as part of the GRDC over dependence on agrochemicals project, was initiated to respond to an increasing reliance on herbicides for weed control and rising reports of herbicide-resistance.
BCG senior researcher Kelly Angel said the project would aim to identify if farming systems can use cultural practice changes, such as sowing direction and row spacing width, to influence, and potentially improve, the fight against weeds.
The trial will compare the performance of Mace wheat sown at 9, 12 and 15 inch row spacings when sown in a north/south and east/west direction with and without weeds.
Ms Angel said visual and statistical differences are already showing up from early assessments performed on plots sown at the different row spacings.
“The results should be interesting,” she said.
The results of this and other BCG research investigating weed control will be published in the 2015 edition of the BCG Seasons Research Results.
For information phone BCG on (03) 5492 2787.
