Fleabane research will be a focus at BCG’s Trial’s Review Day on Friday 21 February at the Birchip Community Leisure Centre. BCG Research Agronomist Angus Butterfield will detail why the key to controlling mature flaxleaf fleabane (Conyza spp.) is in the first pass of a double-knock strategy.
Butterfield undertook two trials researching the stubborn weed near Birchip, Victoria in the summer of 2023-24, focussing on double-knock control. The first trial focussed on the effectiveness of different first pass options and the second trial, second pass treatments.
Growers may find the results surprising. “What we found,” Butterfield explains, “is that first spray applications are critical for effective control of mature flaxleaf fleabane and premium herbicide products often deliver better results in the first spray”.
The wind-borne surface germinating weed has become prolific since the adoption of no till farming systems. Each plant can produce up to 110,000 seeds (Wu 2012) and its waxy surface gives it a natural tolerance to glyphosate (Daniel 2015).
“What makes it particularly tricky to control is that fleabane often comes up in spring under crops and therefore options for its control while it is still small and easier to kill are limited,” Butterfield says. “Our trial work highlights that the addition of Dropzone® to a standard summer spray significantly improves control of flaxleaf fleabane, while common mixes such as 2,4-D ester and triclopyr offer no additional control over a standard glyphosate mix.”
Another interesting finding of the trials was that glyphosate and Terrad’or® may not be needed to control flaxleaf fleabane and excluding these products could significantly reduce costs.
To read the full article visit www.bcg.org.au/flaxleaf-fleabane-control/. To hear more about BCG’s mature fleabane control research, search Shared Ag Solutions by BCG wherever you get your podcasts.
BCG will release its latest research results to BCG members on Friday 21 February. To book your place and receive your 2024 BCG Season Research Results compendium, sign up to become a member today at bcg.org.au or call (03) 5492 2787.
