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In this episode, we talk about crop rotations with two researchers from CSIRO.

CSIRO senior experimental scientist, Tony Swan, discusses the importance of diverse crop rotations, the benefits of a double break, and how well-planned crop rotations can help nitrogen management.
 
CSIRO farming systems scientist, Lindsay Bell, talks about rotations from a northern perspective, covering the importance of weed control during fallow, how soil water is a driver of decisions, and including legumes in crop diversification.
 
NEWS and LINKS

Upcoming webinar: Biological control of grains weeds – development of novel tools and approaches for integration
Discover the pioneering work of CSIRO researchers Dr Ben Gooden and Dr Michelle Rafter on using biocontrol agents to control crop weeds. They will discuss their work conducting exploratory surveys of biocontrol agents and host-testing with pathogens and insects.

Articles
1. Investment in holistic weed management pays off: An independent evaluation noted that WeedSmart has found a ‘real sweet spot to take a holistic approach to problems and develop viable solutions without bias’. Growers commented that WeedSmart has helped them be more aware of potential risks with farm management, crop rotations and chemical use, and keeping weed management front of mind when making all decisions.

2. By-pass mode can extend impact mill life: High rainfall region growers Stewart and Jessica Wallace (Esperance, WA) swapped their chaff carts for a weed seed impact mill to avoid burning the chaff heaps and retain all the crop residues on the paddock while driving down the weed seed bank.

CSIRO Links
1. Break crops and rotations for wheat: This review quantifies the yield increase, based on >900 comparisons of wheat growing after a break crop with wheat after wheat.

2. Herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass: Diverse systems and strategies to cost-effectively manage herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass in no-till wheat-based cropping sequences in south-eastern Australia.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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This week on the Regional Update, we are joined by grower and Nutrien agronomist Dan Skerman. 

Dan farms with his family near Dalby, Qld, on 2000 ha. They grow cotton, sorghum and mungbean in summer and wheat, barley and chickpeas in winter.

He gives us an update on how the season played out for him, considering the region went from one of the wettest 18-month periods on record to some of the driest three months of summer. Dan says they got 350 mm of rain in last year's winter growing season, versus only 20 mm this year.

Dan talks about his summer/winter rotation and the weed control practices he deploys on the farm.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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In this episode, we talk about harvest preparedness. We hear from two of WeedSmart’s extension agronomists.

WeedSmart southern extension agronomist, Chris Davey, discusses the different ways growers can get the crop dry enough to successfully put it through a harvester without any blockages, such as windrowing, desiccation and crop topping.

WeedSmart western extension agronomist, Peter Newman, talks about optimum harvester set-up to ensure weed seeds go into the chaff cart, chaff deck or weed seed impact mill.

NEWS and LINKS

Webinar recording: The economics of weeds — what they cost and the benefits of managing them effectively
We don’t often take the time to calculate what yield reduction weeds are actually responsible for, or what a well-planned rotation for weed management can make a farming business. In our latest webinar, we discussed the economic benefits of implementing an integrated weed management approach on your farm.

Upcoming webinar: Biological control of grains weeds – development of novel tools and approaches for integration
Discover the pioneering work of CSIRO researchers Dr Ben Gooden and Dr Michelle Rafter on using biocontrol agents to control crop weeds. They will discuss their work conducting exploratory surveys of biocontrol agents and host-testing with pathogens and insects.

Articles
1.    Windrowing barley plus HWSC in the high rainfall zone: Tim Williams (Conmurra, SA) uses the barley phase to really drive down their weed seed bank. Tim says they windrow the barley as early as possible, cutting it low to the ground. This minimises weed seed shedding, particularly in ryegrass, so they can capture the seed and process it through the impact mills at harvest.

2.    Never miss an opportunity to tackle weeds: Lance Turner says herbicide resistance, particularly glyphosate resistance, was going to take them out of cropping if they didn’t start using harvest weed seed control. Twenty-five years on and the Turners still have the newer chemistries ‘up their sleeve’.

3.    Mills impact the weed seed bank: Bruce McLean farms at Bool Lagoon in South Australia’s high rainfall zone. He says that the limited harvest hours in th

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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In this podcast, we’re talking about hybrid canola and how it might benefit your farming system.  

We’ll hear from AHRI Agronomy Lead, Mike Ashworth, who has done research in this space, as well as Wagga Wagga grower, Michael Molloy, who grows Clearfield canola. 

NEWS and LINKS

WeedSmart Week presentation recordings

WeedSmart Week Dubbo was a fantastic opportunity to learn first-hand how Western Plains growers control weeds whilst optimising yields and profits. If you were not able to join us in person, you can watch the recordings of the forum presentations on our website.

Articles

Our content writer Cindy Benjamin has written some excellent articles this month.

1.    Keep clear of paraquat-resistant fleabane: The lack of new broad-spectrum knockdown herbicide options means that growers need to be working hard on other management tools where the double-knock is losing efficacy. Agronomist Barry Haskins gives his top tips to control fleabane.

2.    Tackle weeds and herbicide resistance with the Big 6: Nutrien agronomists from across the country shared their tips to help control crop weeds.

3.    Can annual ryegrass be beaten in the Northern region? Annual ryegrass is a relatively new weed in the North. With its capacity to produce large amounts of seed and readily evolve herbicide resistance, growers and agronomists should avoid widespread infestation. Garry Onus, senior agronomist with Nutrien Ag Solutions, in Moree, NSW, gives his top tips to control annual ryegrass in northern farming systems in-crop and in the fallow.

4.    Does ambient temperature affect herbicide performance? Applying herbicides outside the optimal temperature range is likely to contribute to a spray failure, even in susceptible populations. For example, twice as much clethodim is required to kill ryegrass if the product is applied after 3 days of frost. And glyphosate efficacy is much better at 20°C than at 30°C. Associate Professor Chris Preston (The University of Adelaide) explains how ambient temperature affects herbicide performance.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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East Pingelly grain farmer Lance Turner joins us on the Regional Update today.

Lance has farming land in the northern part of the Wheatbelt as well in Goodlands, as well as Corrigin. 

The home farm in Pingelly is and has had quite good rainfall, but as Lance says in the podcast, it's been a mixed bag for his farming properties across the Western region.

Lance talks about the different conditions he's had at his properties, as well us how he's rectifying some set-backs, where a few mistakes a couple of years ago lead to a ryegrass blowout. 

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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This week on the podcast we're hearing about the key messages shared by presenters and panel members at WeedSmart Week Dubbo.

This was our 10th event and we also celebrated WeedSmart’s 10th anniversary.

We had excellent presenters and lively panels at the forum day, machinery expo and farm visits.  Our Southern Extension Agronomist, Greg Condon provides a great overview. We also hear from attendees Tess Dimond and Angus Dagliesh, as well as farm visit agronomist presenter, Chris McCormack, who manages Gus O'Brien's farm.

New webinar recording

You can now watch the latest webinar recording, Combating resistant annual ryegrass in northern farming systems. 

Annual ryegrass, the Australian grain industry’s most costly weed, is making an unwelcome appearance in summer crops and extending its range further north in winter crops.

In this webinar, Nutrien agronomist Garry Onus talks about practical strategies to prevent and manage incursions of resistant annual ryegrass populations in northern cropping systems.

Brad Jackson, with his brother Phil, runs a 2500-ha cropping operation in the Gurley area, Northern NSW. Brad shares the cultural, mechanical and chemical strategies he deploys to keep annual ryegrass at bay.

The webinar is facilitated by WeedSmart northern extension agronomist, Paul McIntosh.

New articles

1.     More crop, fewer weeds at WeedSmart Week Dubbo: The 2023 event was an outstanding success, having attracted 200 registrations, mainly grain growers and agronomists, from across the country for the forum day alone. There was a positive vibe throughout the event particularly in response to the growers who shared their farming systems and weed management challenges and successes. Read all about it here.  

2.     What is the value of fixed nitrogen for suppressing weeds: Rohan Brill, research agronomist, Brill Ag, Ganmain is our August Ask an Expert. Results from research on hyper-yielding crops show that crops need fertile soils, not just fertiliser. One spin-off benefit of vigorous, high-yielding crops is strong crop competition and potentially fewer weeds. Rohan Brill, research agronomist with Brill Ag, Ganmain, NSW, says the results of GRDC-funded pulse research at sites across central and southern NSW have shown that the quantity of atmospheric nitrogen that legumes fix in the soil has been generally under-estimated. Get the details here.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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Temora grower, Jason Coleman, joins us on the podcast today to give a recap on his experience at WeedSmart Week Dubbo and an update on his farming system.

Jason farms with his family in Temora, NSW, on 6000 ha, growing primarily wheat and canola. He said his interest was piqued in the technology space at Dubbo, including the insights into optical spot spraying, drone technology (Single Agriculture) and automation.

He said he also found it interesting to hear directly from growers about their experiences on farm. Jason plans to narrow his rows off the back of some of the grower stories shared in Dubbo and surrounds. 

Follow Jason on Twitter here. 

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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This is our 200th WeedSmart podcast episode – thank you for downloading the podcast and being part of the community since 2016. 

In this episode, we talk about weed hygiene and how to deal with resistant ryegrass incursions, with Moree agronomist Garry Onus. We also talk to Ben Single from Single Agriculture about the Single Shot technology drone mapping technology which will be on display at WeedSmart Week Dubbo at the Machinery Expo on August 2nd. 

Speaking of WeedSmart Week, this will be our 10th event and we’ll be celebrating WeedSmart’s 10th anniversary – so not only will there be practical information on weed control solutions, but it’ll also be a great networking environment. There’s still time to get your tickets, so head to the WeedSmart website today to secure your spot here.

Articles and events 

Our content writer Cindy Benjamin has written some excellent articles this month.

1.     Make every drop of herbicide count: For ten years, WeedSmart has stood alongside growers and agronomists, promoting science-backed practices known to drive down the weed seed bank and stave off the threat of herbicide resistance. To mark this milestone, the WeedSmart team and our research partners have reviewed the WeedSmart Big 6 tactics and made a few modifications, including the addition of ‘Optimise spray efficacy’. Read more here. 

2.     Plan your attack on the weed seed bank: Controlling weeds is an on-going task and requires determination and persistence. Having a great plan of attack is essential. Here we summarise the key components of the WeedSmart Big 6 strategies and the principles that underpin them. You can also test your plan using AHRI’s Weed Integrated Management (WIM) decision support software for annual ryegrass, brome grass, barley grass, wild oats and barnyard grass. Read more here. 

 3.     How can I best tackle sterile oat in Northern region wheat crops? In this Ask an Expert, we chat with with Gulshan Mahajan, Adjunct Associate Professor, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation. Sterile oat (Avena ludoviciana) is the northern region’s most competitive grass weed in cereal crops, costing growers more than 20 thousand tonnes in yield loss and a revenue loss of $4.5 million. Dr Mahajan, says an integrated approach to controlling this weed will save yield and drive down the weed seed bank.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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In this Regional update, we head to Central Queensland, to hear from farmer Don Sampson. 

Don uses a blade plough that cuts weeds off at the roots without inverting the soil.

This maintains soil moisture in his conservation farming system. 

We met Don back in 2019 at our Emerald WeedSmart Week event, so we’re going to hear how he’s been going and how effective the blade plough has been over the last few years.

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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In this episode, we catch up with two growers who will be presenting at WeedSmart Week Dubbo, as well as one of our panel chairs.

Our guests provide insights into Western Plains farming systems, as well provide updates on how the season is playing out in this region.

We hear from Heuston Agronomy Services Director and New South Wales DPI Project Manager, Penny Heuston. Penny will be chairing our panel at WeedSmart Week Dubbo on “How does The Big 6 fit into mixed farming?”

This panel will focus on how growers are using pastures and forage crops to improve weed control options and profit. 

Panel members include Joe Mason (grower, Wellington), Andrew McFayden (agronomist and grower, Lake Cargelligo), John Kilby (grower, Gilgandra), and Jack Brennan (grower, Warren).

Narromine grower, Billy Browning will be on our WeedSmart Week Dubbo Big 6 panel on the Forum Day and we’ll also be visiting his farm on Day 2. He shares some insights about the weed control tools he uses and gives an update on how the season is playing out at his place. 

Trundle grower, Rhys Curr will be on our WeedSmart Week Dubbo Forum Day panel, ‘Diverse rotations to disrupt weed cycles and drive profit’. He farms with his father and brother, growing wheat, canola, barley, lupins, and vetch. He talks to us about how he's used these rotations to control weeds at his place.

WeedSmart Week Dubbo

We're heading to Dubbo, NSW, for our 10th WeedSmart Week on August 1-3.  Early bird tickets are on sale now, ending on July 2. Get your ticket here.  

Articles

Our content writer Cindy Benjamin has written some excellent articles this month.

1.     Reining in FTR with cultivation and competition: Central Queensland farmer and grazier Rhys Daniels invokes the power of cultivation and crop competition against weeds like feathertop Rhodes grass in his family’s farming system. Link: 

2.     Disrupt weed cycles and drive profit: this article gives you an overview of our upcoming event, WeedSmart Week Dubbo.  

3.     How can I make the most of spring planning sessions? In this Ask an Expert, we chat with Anna Hose, who is an agronomy advisor with Premier Ag in Camperdown Victoria. in the high rainfall zone (HRZ) in Victoria’s south-west,

Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website.

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See our other Regional Updates and Beyond Resistance podcasts for great stories from across the Australian growing regions.

#drivesafe #farmsafe