It’s time to get your WeedSmart Week study tour sorted
Every year, WeedSmart Week attracts growers from near and far, keen to learn from their peers about weed management tactics to keep weed numbers low in grain crops.
In 2024, Andrew Bissett from Wheelhouse AGnVET in Victoria took the opportunity to gather 11 growers and five agronomists (including himself) to take a GRDC-supported study tour to WeedSmart Week in Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Andrew says that growers and agronomists alike benefit from visiting other regions to see how other growers deal with weed challenges within different farming systems and environments.
“It is always interesting to see how much we have in common, even though there are differences in soil type, climate and weed spectrum between farms and regions,” he says. “Seeing what another grower is doing to address a problem often sparks an idea for something to try at home. Other times, there is confirmation that you are already on the right track.”
Andrew says that their tour group thoroughly enjoyed the forum day, farm tours and machinery expo, all of which are part of the WeedSmart Week event.
“At the forum, the key message that came through all the presentations was the importance of timely application of weed control tactics,” he says. “Getting your gear set up to be able to treat weeds when they are small and actively growing is key, no matter the scale of your operation. Our group also picked up ideas about better management of soil pH to promote competitive crops, particularly pulses.”
The farm visits and machinery expo are always a highlight, and Andrew’s group was very interested in the liming and drainage work that the Eyre Peninsula growers were doing to grow more crop and fewer weeds.
“We found the whole trip so beneficial that we are giving serious consideration to getting a group together to attend future WeedSmart Week events,” says Andrew.
Registrations are now open for WeedSmart Week 2026 in Griffith, NSW, on 18 and 19 August, showcasing innovative summer fallow weed management practices that have vastly improved the reliability of dryland cropping in this low rainfall region.
You can apply for study tour support to attend WeedSmart Week in Geraldton, WA, on the GRDC website. Registrations for WeedSmart Week are open, with an early bird registration offer available until 30 June, 2026.
First published in May 2025. Updated and republished June, 2026