Demonstrating integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in low rainfall zone farming systems

2019 - 2021

Research organisatons
Funding source
Agricultural Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation

Trial details

Researcher(s) Amanda Cook
Gurjeet Gill
Jake Hull
John Kelsh
Ian Richter
Wade Shepperd
Contact email amanda.cook@sa.gov.au
Year(s) 2019 - 2021
Contributor Agricultural Innovation & Research Eyre Peninsula
Trial location(s) Minnipa, SA
Demonstrating integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in low rainfall zone farming systems locations
Aims

Why do the trial? 
Barley grass possesses several biological traits that make it difficult for growers to manage it in the low rainfall zone, so it is not surprising that it is becoming more prevalent in field crops in SA and WA. A survey by Llewellyn et al. (2015) showed that barley grass has now made its way into the top 1 O weeds of Australian cropping in terms of area infested, crop yield loss and revenue loss. 
The biological traits that make barley grass difficult for growers to manage in low rainfall zones include: 

- early onset of seed production, which reduces effectiveness of crop-topping or spray-topping in pastures,
shedding seeds well before crop harvest, reducing harvest weed seed control effectiveness compared to weeds such as ryegrass which has a much higher seed retention,•    increased seed dormancy, reducing weed control from knockdown herbicides due to delayed emergence, and
•    increasing herbicide resistance, especially to Group A herbicides, used to control grass weeds in pasture phase and legume crops. 

Barley grass management is likely to be more challenging in the low rainfall zone because the growing seasons tend to be more variable in terms of rainfall, which can affect the performance of the pre-emergence herbicides. Furthermore, many growers in these areas tend to have lower budgets for management tactics, and break crops are generally perceived as more risky than cereals. Therefore, wheat and barley tend to be the dominant crops in the low rainfall zone. This project is undertaking coordinated research with farming systems groups across the Southern and Western cropping regions to demonstrate tactics that can be reliably used to improve the management of barley grass. 

Key messages
  • In 2019 the IMI system had the lowest barley grass plant numbers.
  • The Cultural Control strategy did not achieve the desired outcome of having a more even seed spread and increased competition in interrow row for barley grass weed control.
  • The medic pasture produced low dry matter compared to the cereal systems, had the highest barley grass population, and the lowest competitive ability with the barley grass. 
  • The loss of Group A herbicides to control barley grass within local pasture systems has the potential to change rotations and decrease farm profitability.

 

Minnipa SA 2019 Barley

Three replicated broad acre strips of three seeder widths (27 m wide) were sown in MAC paddock S3 
on 17 May. Barley was sown at a seeding rate of 65 kg/ha, with GranulockZ fertiliser at 50 kg/ha, 
and 1.2 L/ha glyphosate, 1.5 L/ha trifluralin and 400 g/ha diuron. The 'Higher cost' chemical 
strategy hay cut barley was sown at 95 kg/ha, and the 'Cultural control' double seeding rate was 
inter row sown with a final seeding rate of 120 kg/ ha and was only sprayed with 1.2 L/ha 
glyphosate. The IMI strategy with Scope barley was sprayed on the 16 July with 700 ml/ha lntervix.

 

Lead research organisation SARDI Minnipa Agricultural Centre
Host research organisation Eyre Peninsula Agricultural Research Foundation
Trial funding source GRDC 9176981
Related program Demonstrating and validating the implementation of integrated weed management strategies to control barley grass in the low rainfall zone farming system
Acknowledgments

The research was funded by GRDC 9176981. Thanks you to Katrina Brands and Steve Jeffs or processing samples


Other trial partners The University of Adelaide ; AIR EP
Download the trial report to view additional trial information

Method

Crop types Weed: Barley Grass Cereal (Grain): Barley Cereal (Grain): Wheat Pasture: Medic Oilseed: Canola
Treatment type(s)
  • Crop: Type
  • Crop: Rotation
  • Herbicide: Application Method
  • Herbicide: Type
  • Sowing: Rate
  • Sowing: Row Spacing
Trial type
Trial design

Minnipa 2019 Barley Grass

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2019 Barley

Sow date 17 May 2019 17 May 2019
Harvest date 28 October 2019 28 October 2019
Plot size 27m x 620m
Plot replication 3
Fertiliser

50kg/ha GranulockZ

Minnipa 2019 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2019 Medic

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2019 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2020 Barley

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2020 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2020 Medic

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2020 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2021 Barley

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2021 Wheat

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2021 Medic

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified

Minnipa 2021 Canola

Sow date Not specified
Harvest date Not specified
Plot size Not specified
Plot replication Not specified
Fertiliser Not specified
Download the trial report to view additional method/treatment information
Trial source data and summary not available
Check the trial report PDF for trial results.
Observed trial site soil information
Trial site soil testing
Not specified
Soil conditions
Trial site Soil texture
Minnipa, SA Not specified
Derived trial site soil information
Australian Soil Classification Source: ASRIS
Trial site Soil order
Minnipa, SA Calcarosol
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

Minnipa SA 2019


Observed climate information

Rainfall avg ann (mm) 324mm
Rainfall avg gsr (mm) 241mm
Rainfall trial total (mm) 367mm
Rainfall trial gsr (mm) 255mm

Derived climate information

Minnipa SA

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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

2019 trial report

2019 trial report



Trial last modified: 16-03-2023 14:11pm AEST