Weed Management Workshop

Weeds – Can they be successfully controlled by any one method?

Several WCMN members attended an informative workshop, Integrated Weed Management, held in Boort and hosted by Landcare and the North Central Catchment Management Authority.

The workshop was presented by Professor Brian Sindel, formerly from the CSIRO and now Professor of Weed Science at the University of New England. He validated a diverse approach to weed control, by research and case studies.

There is evidence to show how weeds have adapted to control methods of :

• No till agriculture
• Grazing
• Slashing/cutting
• Herbicides
• Continued use of one method by survival/resistance

In response to weed adaptability, Brian proposed the use of an Integrated Weed Management (IWM) approach which:

• Combines a series of weed control measures each of which places constraints on weed growth, reproduction & spread.
• Spreads the risk of control failure
• Allows component methods to be mutually supportive
• Employs combinations of physical, ecological, biological, chemical and genetic methods

What are the management aims in weed control?

1. deplete weed seed bank & stop emergence
2. suppress/kill weed
3. stop weed seed set
4. prevent seed addition to soil seed bank
5. prevent spread from outside

Three ‘secrets’’ of successful weed management were identified as:

• DIVERSITY – combine a series of weed control measures, each of which places different constraints on weed growth, reproduction and spread
• DELIBERATION – have a plan based on an understanding of weed ecology
• DILIGENCE – stick at it, as weeds persist and spread if ignored

Take home messages from the day included:

• Weeds must not be ignored, because of their impacts
• Weeds adapt to agricultural systems we create for them
• Understand the lifecycles of weeds and how they spread
• Employ the 5 weed management aims in co-ordination with the weed’s lifecycle

Article - Joy Hick