A novel approach to weed management in Australia is being investigated with the start of a project that aims to research the management, economic and social benefits of tackling weeds on a broader scale.

The traditional approach to tackling weeds has been to focus on paddock or farm scale management. Instead, this project aims to take an area-wide approach to weed management with the theory being that if the number of weeds over the entire landscape can be reduced, everyone in that area should benefit, especially when dealing with weeds with mobile seed and pollen.

In the Sunraysia region, MSF is working with broadacre farmers, wine grape, dried fruit, citrus and almond growers to trial different weed management practices to control flaxleaf fleabane and especially where some industries share a boundary.

There are a number of potential weed issues related to fleabane’s ability to move across farm borders. This includes herbicide resistance spread, new weeds entering districts and spray drift.

In this podcast we talk to Dr Sonia Graham, Social Scientist from the University of Wollongong, who is researching farmer attitudes to weed management in an effort to understand the drivers of success for implementing an area wide approach. 

For more information about the project visit https://research.csiro.au/weed-awm/

Acknowledgments

This project is supported through funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program and the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the Cotton Research and Development Corporation.