Harvest weed seed control for the southern high-rainfall zone

2017

Research organisatons
Funding source

Trial details

Researcher(s) N/A
Year(s) 2017
Contributor Riverine Plains
Trial location(s) Telford, VIC
Harvest weed seed control for the southern high-rainfall zone locations
Aims

The aim of this work is to understand if growers can reduce soil weed seedbanks in high-yielding high-rainfall zones by adopting harvest weed seed control (HWSC) practices.

Key messages

• Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) — the collection and/or destruction of weed seeds at harvest — is a non-chemical control method, which can be used to reduce the seedbank of weeds, such as annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidium).

• Techniques include mechanical weed destruction, or methods involving carting or baling chaff straight after harvest. Chaff can also be concentrated behind the header in a row, which is then left to mulch (chaff lining or decking) or concentrated in a narrow windrow behind the header and burnt (narrow windrow burning).

• A major premise of HWSC is that the targeted weed species retain a high proportion of their total seed production at crop maturity.

• There was no difference between a harvest height of 30cm and 15cm in terms of the number of weed seeds returned to the soil.

• In wheat crops with high annual ryegrass plant populations, a large percentage of the ryegrass seed matures and drops in the month before wheat harvest, limiting the effectiveness of HWSC in the Riverine Plains region. In 2017, approximately 30% of total ryegrass weed seeds were removed by the harvest process.

• HWSC could be used as one tool in a larger integrated weed management strategy.

Lead research organisation Southern Farming Systems
Host research organisation Riverine Plains
Trial funding source GRDC SFS00032
Related program N/A
Acknowledgments

The project Harvest weed seed control for the southern high rainfall zone (SFS00032) is a GRDC investment led by Southern Farming Systems. Thank you to our farmer co-operators Baker Seed Co, the Trevethan family and the Inchbold family.


Other trial partners FAR Australia
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop type Cereal (Grain): Wheat
Treatment type(s)
  • Harvest: Method
  • Management systems: Integrated weed management
Trial type Experimental
Trial design Randomised,Replicated

Telford 2017

Sow date 28 April 2017
Harvest date 10 December 2017
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information

Download results

Trial results Table 1

@T1: GS13 @T2: GS23 @T3: GS87
# Treatment 1
Screenings (%) Test weight (kg/hL) Protein (%) Grain yield (t/ha) Log soil seed bank (plants/m2) Log ryegrass plants (plants/m2) Log ryegrass plants (plants/m2) Log ryegrass spikelets (plants/m2)
1 2016 Ryegrass sown 0/m2, harvest height 15cm 0.69 74.51 8.14 3.24 1.57 1.98 1.92 2.31
1 2016 Ryegrass sown 25/m2, harvest height 15cm 0.76 74.34 8.36 3.08 1.21 2.07 2.01 2.32
1 2016 Ryegrass sown 50/m2, harvest height 15cm 0.68 74.08 8.78 3.1 0.77 1.96 1.73 1.94
1 2016 Ryegrass sown 75/m2, harvest height 15cm 0.73 74.05 8.34 3.19 0.63 2.01 1.98 1.45
2 2016 Ryegrass sown 0/m2, harvest height 30cm 0.63 74.13 7.49 3.13 1.45 2 1.94 2.39
2 2016 Ryegrass sown 25/m2, harvest height 30cm 0.7 73.95 7.71 2.97 1.08 2.09 2.04 2.41
2 2016 Ryegrass sown 50/m2, harvest height 30cm 0.61 73.69 8.13 2.99 0.65 1.98 1.76 2.03
2 2016 Ryegrass sown 75/m2, harvest height 30cm 0.66 73.66 7.69 3.07 0.5 2.02 2.01 1.53
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Grain yield t/ha


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Log ryegrass plants plants/m2


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Log ryegrass spikelets plants/m2


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Log soil seed bank plants/m2


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Protein %


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Screenings %


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Test weight kg/hL


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Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Telford, VIC Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Telford, VIC Sodosol
Soil Moisture Source: BOM/ANU
Average amount of water stored in the soil profile during the year, estimated by the OzWALD model-data fusion system.
Year Telford VIC
2017 427.5mm
2016 458.4mm
2015 439.3mm
2014 441.4mm
2013 437.6mm
2012 482.1mm
2011 499.8mm
2010 503.9mm
2009 435.7mm
2008 435.1mm
2007 421.2mm
2006 429.2mm
2005 449.0mm
2004 426.3mm
2003 459.0mm
2002 424.1mm
2001 435.4mm
2000 437.1mm
National soil grid Source: CSIRO/TERN
NOTE: National Soil Grid data is aggregated information for background information on the wider area
Actual soil values can vary significantly in a small area and the trial soil tests are the most relevant data where available

Soil properties

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Climate

Derived climate information

No observed climate data available for this trial.
Derived climate data is determined from trial site location and national weather sources.

Telford VIC

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Some data on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology

SILO weather estimates sourced from https://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/silo/
Jeffrey, S.J., Carter, J.O., Moodie, K.B. and Beswick, A.R. (2001). Using spatial interpolation to construct a comprehensive archive of Australian climate data , Environmental Modelling and Software, Vol 16/4, pp 309-330. DOI: 10.1016/S1364-8152(01)00008-1.

Trial report and links

2017 trial report



Trial last modified: 19-12-2018 13:33pm AEST