No-tillage adoption decisions in southern Australian cropping and the role of weed management
F. H. D’Emden A C and R. S. Llewellyn A BA CRC for Australian Weed Management, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics (MO89), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
B Current address: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Urrbrae, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: fdemden@agric.wa.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(4) 563-569 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA05025
Submitted: 7 February 2005 Accepted: 9 September 2005 Published: 20 April 2006
Abstract
Adoption of no-tillage sowing systems has increased rapidly in many Australian grain growing regions over the past decade. The extent of herbicide resistant weed populations in these regions has also increased over the same period. A survey of growers in the South and Western Australian cropping regions was conducted to identify opportunities for more effective tillage and weed-related extension. Trends in sowing system use are determined, as are growers’ perceptions of the long-term effects of no-tillage on herbicide costs, herbicide resistance, and soil erosion. The results suggest a major expansion in the adoption of no-tillage sowing in most South Australian cropping regions over the next 5 years, although growers expect increased herbicide costs in no-tillage systems and an increased risk of herbicide resistance. Herbicide resistance and weed control issues are the main reasons given for reducing no-tillage use. A key research and extension challenge is to develop and implement weed management strategies that are able to sustain long-term no-tillage use in a cropping environment where growers place a high value on the soil and production benefits of no-tillage, but over-reliance on herbicides can rapidly lead to resistance in major crop weeds.
Additional keywords: conservation tillage, glyphosate, herbicide resistance, perceptions.
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the support of the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, the South Australian No-tillage Farmers Association, the interviewer team and the grain growers who took part in this study. The contributions of members of the Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative at the University of Western Australia are also gratefully acknowledged, as are the constructive suggestions of 2 anonymous referees.
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1 Direct drill is defined here as where crops are sown in 1 pass with no previous soil disturbance.
2 No-tillage is defined here as where crops are sown in 1 pass with narrow ‘knifepoints’ or disc openers with no previous soil disturbance.
