No water, just weeds? Managing weeds in irrigation channels

Are your channels a source of weeds on your farm?

Weeds in irrigation channels are an important source of weeds.

What do we know?

• Channels are a source of seeds that can move into cotton fields adding to the weed seed bank.
• Weeds in channels are a potential host for disease and insect pests.
• They can interrupt water delivery reducing irrigation efficiency.
• Large weed infestations can provide habitat for feral pests.
• Larger weeds can also undermine the integrity and stability of the channel bank.

What are the options?

• Valor (Group G) herbicide contains flumioxazin and is registered for knockdown and residual control of broadleaf and grass weeds on irrigation channel banks. It has low volatility and binds strongly to the soil so the risk of movement is very low. Valor binds tightly to the soil after 25mm of rain, if that doesn’t occur within 3 weeks after application the channel will require flushing and the waste water retained on farm. It is not degraded by solar radiation even if exposed for weeks prior to water or rainfall.
• Pendimethalin (Group D) is a herbicide which provides residual control predominantly of grass weed species. Pendimethalin is very tightly bound to soil particles and has very low solubility; meaning it stays where it is applied. Pendimethalin should be applied to the bank after grading or reshaping and if rainfall does not occur for 14 days the channel should be filled with water and then waste retained for pre-irrigation of cotton fields.
• Diuron (Group C) is a herbicide which provides residual control of a range of grass and broadleaf weeds. Diuron has limited mobility binding tightly to the soil, extremely low volatility and has a relatively low solubility rating. Application needs to be onto moist bare soil and prior to rainfall to fix the herbicide to the soil. If rainfall does not occur fill the channel, let stand for 72 hours and then drain the water into waste.
• Glyphosate (Group M) is a knockdown herbicide with activity on a large number of weeds common to irrigation channels. The overuse of glyphosate for weed control in non-field areas is a contributing factor to the development of herbicide resistance; thus its use around channels, road sides and non-field areas should be restricted. Any survivors from glyphosate application need to be removed to prevent weed seeds topping up the soil seedbank with a potentially resistant population.
• Amitrole-T (Group Q) is a knockdown herbicide that controls a range of seedling grasses and young broadleaf weeds. Using Amitrole-T as a substitute for glyphosate will help to reduce the likelihood of glyphosate resistance developing.

The importance of pre-emergent and residual herbicides

Getting the best out of any herbicide is important, none more so than glyphosate.