Weeds cost Australian Grain Growers over $3 billion per year
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Cattle News
- Feb 22, 2018
- 549 views
- Share
Weeds place a huge burden on the production system, so much so that GRDC estimated the total cost to Australian grain growers to be $3,318 million in 2016.
BCG commercial services manager Cameron Taylor explained that technology will help growers get a better understanding and handle of their weed pressure within paddocks.
“Using GPS systems in tractors enables growers to get a better understanding of the location and quantity of weeds in paddocks,” Mr Taylor described.
“This is allowing growers to quantify the issue they have with weeds, for example 40 percent cover in paddock X, rather than saying there is some weeds in that paddock.”
Site specific spraying is one option being considered by growers due to the need to decrease costs and whilst maintaining effective herbicide use.
An example very relevant at the moment is milk thistle. Growers are reporting that they are becoming exceedingly difficult to kill, and are sporadic across paddocks due to seasonal conditions.
Mr Taylor explained at his family property, Mayo Park Farms, they have been putting together weed maps over the past two years.
“When we are in the tractor, be it seeding, spraying, spreading or harvesting, we have the ability to use our GPS system to record areas of weeds in the paddock,”
“Once the paddock is complete, we are able to extract the information to identify areas that we need to work on.”
Matching the weed maps to yield and soil maps has enabled Mayo Park Farms to better manage problem areas.
Mr Taylor explained that before using this system they undertook some specific site spraying, which they have now identified that they missed 10 percent of weeds.
“The 10 percent that we missed could have a big impact on rotational decision making and herbicide usage. Because we are being dictated by weed populations instead of the other way around.”
“Now that we are using the weed map we can better determine exactly where the areas are and make sure the whole area receives the required treatment.”
Thanks to one of their farm workers, Mr Taylor believed that the use of weed maps has really opened the eyes of his family to the opportunities that are now open to them for management of weeds.
“It has been a wonderful thing having someone with fresh eyes and a unique way of thinking about things.”
“I haven’t seen or heard of many people using or talking about weed maps. It has added another tool and created a data layer to help tangible decision making in real time.”
Mr Taylor will be presenting his finding from using weed maps and how growers can start to use them on their own properties at the BCG Trials Review Day on Friday 16 February at the Birchip Leisure Centre.
The BCG Trials Review Day is a members only event. Lunch and refreshments are included and non-BCG members can purchase memberships prior to, or on the day.
For more information about the BCG Trials Review Day visit the website at www.bcg.org.au or phone the office on (03) 5492 2787.
Share Ag News Via