Australia
June 26, 2013
Herbicide-resistant weeds represent the single largest threat to Australian and global food security and cost the Australian grains industry more than $200 million each year, according to Dr Ken Young, Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) program manager - plant health technologies.
Dr Young and a team of leading herbicide resistance researchers have highlighted the issue in a 16-page supplement included in the latest issue of Ground Cover.
The supplement, Herbicide Resistance, concentrates on research into ‘making herbicides last’.
Dr Young says a suite of both chemical and non-chemical tools is the answer, with the focus on harvest weed seed control techniques including windrow burning, chaff carts and the Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD).
“With six weed species now confirmed to have glyphosate-resistant populations across Australian cropping systems, the work of the GRDC-supported Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group (AGSWG) is more important than ever,” Dr Young said.
“The group’s national training work in integrated weed management is helping to prolong the life of our most valuable knockdown herbicide, better understand how weeds become resistant to its chemistry, and monitor and better manager the risk of glyphosate resistance spreading further.”
On a broader front, GRDC’s investment in herbicide resistance research, development and extension is channeled through the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI).
The supplement includes articles on rotating herbicide groups, mechanical weed control options, selective spraying, the importance of using the full rate, survey results showing the spread of resistance, and bumping up sowing rates.
To download the e-version of the Ground Cover Herbicide Resistance Supplement, visit www.grdc.com.au/GC104.
For more information on GRDC-supported herbicide resistance research, visit www.weedsmart.org.au or www.grdc.com.au.
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