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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 47(1)

Survey of weed flora and management relative to cropping practices in the north-eastern grain region of Australia

V. A. Osten A E , S. R. Walker B , A. Storrie C , M. Widderick B , P. Moylan C , G. R. Robinson B and K. Galea D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, LMB 6, Emerald, Qld 4720, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, PO Box 2282, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

C NSW Department of Primary Industries, 4 Marsden Park Road, Tamworth, NSW 2340, Australia.

D 3 Wendy Court, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.

E Corresponding author. Email: vikki.osten@dpi.qld.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(1) 57-70 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05141
Submitted: 6 May 2005  Accepted: 15 May 2006   Published: 2 January 2007

Abstract

The main weeds and weed management practices undertaken in broad acre dryland cropping areas of north-eastern Australia have been identified. The information was collected in a comprehensive postal survey of both growers and agronomists from Dubbo in New South Wales (NSW) through to Clermont in central Queensland, where 237 surveys were returned. A very diverse weed flora of 105 weeds from 91 genera was identified for the three cropping zones within the region (central Queensland, southern Queensland and northern NSW). Twenty-three weeds were common to all cropping zones. The major common weeds were Sonchus oleraceus, Rapistrum rugosum, Echinochloa spp. and Urochloa panicoides. The main weeds were identified for both summer and winter fallows, and sorghum, wheat and chickpea crops for each of the zones, with some commonality as well as floral uniqueness recorded. More genera were recorded in the fallows than in crops, and those in summer fallows exceeded the number in winter. Across the region, weed management relied heavily on herbicides. In fallows, glyphosate and mixes with glyphosate were very common, although the importance of the glyphosate mix partner differed among the cropping zones. Use and importance of pre-emergence herbicides in-crop varied considerably among the zones. In wheat, more graminicides were used in northern NSW than in southern Queensland, and virtually none were used in central Queensland, reflecting the differences in winter grass weed flora across the region. Atrazine was the major herbicide used in sorghum, although metolachlor was also used predominantly in northern NSW. Fallow and inter-row cultivation were used more often in the southern areas of the region. Grazing of fallows was more prominent in northern NSW. High crop seeding rates were not commonly recorded indicating that growers are not using crop competition as a tool for weed management. Although many management practices were recorded overall, few growers were using integrated weed management, and herbicide resistance has been and continues to be an issue for the region.


Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all participating growers and agronomists of the northern eastern grain region. The professional assistance of Alan Maguire (NSW DPI) in developing the comprehensive database, and the technical assistance of Tony Cook (NSW DPI), Megan McCosker, Glen Wright and Anne Sullivan (DPI&F) is greatly appreciated. Special thanks to John Cameron, ICAN (survey distribution) and Tony Bean, Queensland Herbarium (plant specimen advice). We thank David Reid, Dick Steel and Joe Kochman for comments on this manuscript. The research was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), NSW Department of Primary Industries, and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.


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