Western Australian agronomists are being provided with further opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of how herbicides work, enabling them to provide advice to growers that will optimise the performance of herbicides on-farm.
Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) herbicide behaviour workshops, to be delivered by Independent Consultants Australia Network (ICAN), will address the science underpinning how herbicides work, and growers are also welcome to register to attend.
“Participants will gain a better understanding of the key factors dictating herbicide performance and what can be done in the paddock to ensure weed control is maximised,” ICAN weed specialist Mark Congreve said.
“Weeds are one of the largest costs to grain producers and herbicide resistance is a key driver of increasing costs.
“When confronted with a range of weed problems and environmental conditions, the challenge is to optimise the results in the field.”
A number of workshops have already been held in WA and other Australian grain growing regions in 2019 and the feedback from participants has been positive.
One WA participant commented:
“In such a short time, Mark did an excellent job of outlining all of the factors that affect herbicide efficacy and behaviour. What was particularly valuable was brushing up on pre-emergent herbicide behaviour.
“With the rise of multiple herbicide resistance, these modes of action are becoming increasingly important. Also, discussions on the impact formulations and salts have on uptake was also very informative. This workshop is a must for new and experienced agronomists alike.”
Mr Congreve said knowing what weeds would be controlled from applying a herbicide was relatively easy – as the information was outlined on the product label – but more challenging questions included:
- Why do herbicides perform or fail in some situations?
- Why do critical comments on the label exist and how were they developed?
- How do adjuvants and water conditioning agents work? What should be used, when and why?
- How does resistance affect different herbicides? What strategies can be used as resistance emerges?
- How do residual herbicides work and what influences their breakdown?
Mr Congreve said the workshops would be customised for each location to focus on regionally important herbicides and management issues.
The small group workshops will each run for one-and-a-half days and participant numbers are limited to ensure active participation and discussion.
GRDC herbicide behaviour workshops in Western Australia will be held at the following locations during the second half of this calendar year:
- Geraldton – August 6 and 7 2019
- Wongan Hills – August 8 and 9 2019
- Merredin – August 12 and 13 2019
- York – August 14 and 15 2019
The cost is $165 (including GST) per workshop and the events start at 8.30am on day one and finish by lunchtime on day two.
Source: GRDC
Featured Image: Herbicide behaviour workshop. Photo Mark Congreve