Create & burn narrow windrows
The best option to maximise the weed seed bank is to harvest high and spread all of the weed seeds evenly over the paddock. This will give you something to spray next year.
If you, like most others, feel that this is a bad idea, it may be time to start narrow windrow burning. Narrow windrow burning is a good place to start to see if this harvest weed seed control caper is all it is cracked up to be.
The first step is to spend some time familiarising yourself with a beer can. The internationally accepted harvest height when trying to capture weed seeds is the height of an Australian beer can.
The next step is to work out how to modify your harvester to make narrow windrows. It’s easier than you think!
Below are a number of videos and materials to help get you started. Remember to keep an eye on this page – we’ll be keeping you up to date with everything related to windrow burning.
- Windrow chute CAD drawings
- PocketFire app
- AccuFire Broadacre Firelighter
- Narrow windrow burning financials factsheet
- Narrow windrow burning in southern NSW
- Chris and Elise Bunny feature: Windrow burning – it’s got to be hot
- Sensitivity analysis – grain yield factsheet
- AHRI insight: Tips
- AHRI insight: Burning wet windrows
- AHRI insight: Rules of thumb (weed seed retention at harvest)
- AHRI insight: Spoiled rotten (all HWSC)
- AHRI insight: To win the war you must win the battles (all HWSC)
- GRDC IWM hub: managing weeds at harvest
