IMPROVING agronomists’ understanding of post-emergent herbicides so they are better positioned to assist growers develop effective integrated weed management strategies is the focus of a series of new half day workshops.
The workshops (CLICK HERE TO REGISTER), with follow up technical resources, have been developed by ICAN, an agricultural consultancy specialising in linking researchers, technology providers, advisors and growers.
ICAN’s Mark Congreve said this integrated resource focuses on providing advisers with a high-level understanding of how the key modes of action that are used for post-emergent grass weed control enter the leaf, move to their target site and affect the plant at a cellular level.
Mr Congreve, who is leading the development of workshop resources, said understanding how herbicides work in the plant helps advisers to recommend optimum herbicide timing and application strategies to maximise herbicide performance.
The workshop will also explore how environmental conditions and different adjuvants influence the performance of different herbicide groups; and how tank-mixing different herbicides can increase or decrease performance.
“Understanding these properties can be especially critical in early stages of herbicide resistance selection and may be the difference between a successful application or a spray failure,” Mr Congreve said.
“Herbicide resistance is now a reality for most of our post-emergent herbicide modes of action. Where herbicide resistance exists, these herbicides are not going to be as robust and forgiving as they were when first introduced.
“As advisers, it is critical to ensure that we are doing everything possible to maximise the environment suitable for the herbicide to perform its role.”
This latest resource follows on from The soil behaviour of pre-emergent herbicides - a reference manual for Australian grains advisers, which was written for the GRDC by ICAN in 2014. This manual has since become a critical reference resource for those making pre-emergent herbicide choices in the paddock.
These agronomist-focused, half-day workshops will be held throughout southern Queensland and NSW.
March 20: Toowoomba.
March 21: Dalby.
March 23: Moree.
March 24: Goondiwindi.
March 28: Gunnedah.
March 29: Coonamble.
March 30: Parkes.
March 31: Dubbo.
The workshops are an initiative of the Northern Panel through the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC).
CLICK HERE to register or contact 02 9482 4930.
