In this edition of the Regional Update, we’re catching up with Farm and General Agronomist, Greg Warren.
Greg will be presenting at WeedSmart Week next month, so gives us a bit of a snapshot of what he’ll be focusing on. You can find out more and get your tickets here.
We also get an overview of what growers should be thinking about at the moment in terms of weed control in the region.

On this edition of the podcast, we’re going to chat to the Northern Grower Alliance CEO, Richard Daniel about the results they got from survey they recently did on optical spraying. Some of the results were quite surprising, especially when it came to how farmers were using the sprayers.
We also hear from Cotton Australia Chair, Hamish McIntyre. He explains why the Round-Up Ready Xtend Crop System from Bayer is so important for cotton growers. Hamish also provides some context around why ensuring the stewardship of this product is so essential.
News & Links
We’ve got a new article on kicking the herbicide habit. We look at how random weed surveys are continuing to identify an increasing trend in herbicide resistance across broadacre cropping regions in Australia. Dr Peter Boutsalis & Dr John Broster provide comment here.
WeedSmart Week 
Just a reminder that tickets are now able to be purchased for Esperance WeedSmart Week. The early bird price of $190 ends on July 31 and then goes up to $250 after this, so if you’re planning on going, get your tickets sooner rather than later for a discount!
You can get your tickets here.
Twitter and Facebook
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We post seasonally relevant information on weed control & promote good discussion.
You can also sign-up for our monthly blog, the WeedSmart Whip Around. Our content from the last month is featured, so it’s easy to get to all the latest news in one spot.

In this episode of the Regional Update, we catch up with our Southern Extension Agronomist, Chris Davey.
Chris has been traveling across the Mallee region in the last week, catching up Matt Witney from Dodgshun Medlin and meeting growers across the region to talk all things WeedSmart.
We get an overview from Chris on his trip, as well as a regional update on the growing areas in South Australia.

On this edition of the podcast, we’re looking at how farmers can now actively become citizen scientists by improving weed recognition for machine learning.
University of Sydney Precision Weed Control PhD student, Guy Coleman earlier this year, along with Dr Michael Walsh hosted a workshop on weed recognition and machine learning in Wagga Wagga.
Guy walks us through the key learnings presented at this workshop and also reveals details about a new open source weed locator his team is releasing.
University of Sydney Precision Weed Control PhD student, Guy Coleman, with ‘Oscar’ the robot.
We’ll also be hearing from West Wimmera Farmer, Sam  Eastwood, who is particularly keen on managing weeds in non-cropped and unproductive areas of the farm.
He shares with us he how he keeps on top of them and why it’s a priority for him.
Links mentioned in the podcast
The Machine Learning for Weed Recognition Workshop Guy spoke about in the podcast is available to watch online. Follow the links below.

Day 1 of the workshop.
Day 2 of the workshop.
You can check out the Weed AI Sydney website here.
You can follow Guy Coleman on Twitter here.
WeedSmart website – new content! 
Make sure you check out our article explainer on what to expect for WeedSmart Week in Esperance. We’ve now released the program for you to view as well.  Check it out here.
We’ve also got a new article which is looking at what the benefit is of a double paraquat knockdown. James Jess who is a research and technical services manager at Western AG in Ballarat provides the answers. Take a read here.
Webinar Recording
For those of you who couldn’t attend our webinar on ryegrass management in the High Rainfall Zone, the recording is now available on our website, and I’ll provide the link in the show notes.
Dr Chris Preston and Southern Farming Systems’ James Manson provided information, with our HRZ Extension Agronomist as host.
Watch the recording in full here.
WeedSmart Week
Just a reminder that tickets are now able to be purchased for Esperance WeedSmart Week. The early bird price of $190 ends on July 31 and then goes up to $250 after this, so if you’re planning on going, get your tickets sooner rather than later for a discount!
You can get your tickets here.
Twitter and Facebook
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
You can also sign-up for our monthly blog, the WeedSmart Whip Around. All of our content from the last month is featured, so it’s easy to get to all the latest news.

This webinar was hosted by Jana Dixon, WeedSmart’s High Rainfall Zone extension agronomist.

WeedSmart Week
Just a reminder that tickets are now able to be purchased for Esperance WeedSmart Week. It’s the first time in 5 years the event will be back in WA. It’s happening from the 17th to the 19th of August 2021. WeedSmart Week is designed to engage growers and advisors on WeedSmart’s Big 6 messages. You can get your tickets here.

 
New content
Our next Regional Update will come out next Monday and we’ll be heading to the Northern Region. Make sure you’re subscribed on your podcast app of choice so you don’t miss it! You can find us by searching “WeedSmart Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox and any other podcast platform.
Make sure you check out our latest Ask an Expert. This month Dr Chris Preston answers the question How does ryegrass adapt so readily to farming practices and environmental changes?
We’ve also got a new Case Study for June on Elton and Pam Petersen from Moonie in Queensland.
A SwarmFarm robot, ‘Oscar’, has added another dimension to their integrated weed management program, which features the majority of the WeedSmart Big 6 tactics.
In two summer fallows the Petersens have regained control of glyphosate resistant feathertop Rhodes grass and awnless barnyard grass that was threatening their 2000 ha dryland cropping operation.
Webinar
Join us to and hear how the WeedSmart’s Big 6 strategies are best utilised to combat annual ryegrass in the High Rainfall Zones of South Eastern Australia. Presented by University of Adelaide’s Chris Preston, followed by a Q&A with James Manson from Southern Farming Systems. Register here.
WeedSmart Week
Just a reminder that tickets are now able to be purchased for Esperance WeedSmart Week. It’s the first time in 5 years the event will be back in WA. It’s happening from the 17th to the 19th of August 2021. WeedSmart Week is designed to engage growers and advisors on WeedSmart’s Big 6 messages. You can get your tickets here.
 
 
 

In this edition of the Regional Update we’re heading to the Western Region and catching up with farmer, Adrian Perks. Adrian is based in Condingup in WA, which is 70 kilometres north east of Esperance.We’ll be visiting Adrian’s farm as part of Esperance WeedSmart Week, so we’ll find out more about that and get a weed focused update for his region.
WeedSmart Week
WeedSmart Week Esperance is 17-19 of August. To find out more about this event and to buy tickets, click here.

We feature farmer case studies from each of our mill partners, including HSD, Redekop and Seed Terminator.
The farmers we hear from are Steve Lord (Goomalling, WA – Redekop); Tyson Schutz, who is pictured above with Dad Mick (Grass Patch, WA – Seed Terminator); and Jon Beasley (Franklin River, WA – HSD).

Farmer, Steve Lord, who has a Redekop mill.

We also be hearing from Kondinin Group’s Ben White who provides us with a technical overview and details the latest updates on this technology.
WeedSmart Week
This year, our annual flagship event will be held in Esperance, WA from the 17th to the 19th of August 2021. WeedSmart Week is designed to engage growers and advisors on WeedSmart’s Big 6 messages. You can get your tickets here.
New content
Make sure you check out our latest Ask an Expert. This month Dr Chris Preston answers the question “How does ryegrass adapt so readily to farming practices and environmental changes?”
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook and also sign-up for our monthly blog. You can also subscribe to the WeedSmart Whip Around, so you never miss any of our content.
Related content
We mentioned on the podcast that Tyson Schutz’s Dad, Mick Schutz, featured in a GRDC publication entitled “Investigating the harvest weed seed control tools chaff lining and chafftramlining (chaffdeck) in the Esperance area”. Check that out here.

In this edition of the Regional Update, we’re heading to the Southern Region and catching up with Nutrien Agronomist, James Challis. James is based in Echuca in Victoria.

 
Jump to a section

Simon’s client experience with RR Canola and decision-making process 00:27
What’s the decision-making process when it comes to growing a glyphosate tolerant variety over conventional/TT canola? 01:36
Herbicide strategy & resistance testing: 02:44
Timing of glyphosate sprays 05:02
Varietal performance 07:06
Broadleaf weeds 09:33
Dealing with survivors, WeedSmart Big 6 11:12
Desiccation & windrowing 13:48
GM canola marketing 14:46
On-farm storage 15:14

In this new segment, WeedSmart Shorts, our expert agronomists around the country interview experts on topics in a ‘Question and Answer’ video format.
Simon was kind enough to be our first guest and Jana covers lots of important points with him throughout the interview. Above, you can find what questions are covered if you’d like to jump to one of the specific topics highlighted.
Simon says there has been uptake by his clients of glyphosate tolerant canola in South Australia, but there has been a varied response.

“We are finding that some are wanting to try a paddock, some are wanting to sit back and see how it goes. So, it is probably very similar to what happened in Victoria when it rolled out there as an option,” he says.
South Australian farmers in the past have been able to control the weeds with the existing canola options they have, says Simon, but what they are finding now is there is an increase in clethodim resistance, particularly at higher rates and so that is what is likely to be driving the decision-making process around what other canola options are available, such as RR canola.
While it is exciting to have another option for SA growers, Simon says it is critical that growers know their ryegrass resistance status before committing to planting glyphosate tolerant canola.
“Testing is the backbone behind the decision making around canola options and so once we’re aware of what herbicides still work effectively, that’s where we’re able to make a good, informed decision.”
Simon said it was important to know what works on ryegrass across the whole spectrum of herbicide groups.
“An example is, I did some testing for a new client recently and one of his populations came back as 80% resistant to glyphosate. Now, had we not done that test and put glyphosate resistant canola into that paddock, we would’ve been facing a disaster, but because we had that information on hand, we knew what our options were and what they weren’t,” Simon says.
 
 

WeedSmart Southern Extension Agronomist, Chris Davey has great practical tips on Group Gs today.
AHRI’s Dr Mike Ashworth covers the GRDC invested research he’s been leading in the Agronomy space, with some practical information on post-emergent UAN placement recommendations.
And finally, the problem of fence line weeds isn’t going away, so in the spirit of the WeedSmart Big 6, our Northern Extension Agronomist Paul McIntosh has a novel solution to plant lucerne to compete with weeds in non-cropped areas.
Related webinars
Mark Congreve Webinar on Group Gs
Chris Preston Webinar on Group Gs
New content
Our next Regional Update will come out next Monday and we’ll be hearing Nutrien Agronomist James Challis from the Southern Region.
If you haven’t listened to our latest update yet, we caught up with Tim Bartimote from NSW Local Land Services who talked about a GRDC invested projected on chaff decks.
Ask an Expert
This month Mark Congreve joins us to answer the questions “What impact does dry seeding have on pre-emergent herbicide efficacy?” Check it out here.
WeedSmart Review
In this edition we look at research from scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. They’ve recently published the results from long-term studies measuring the impact of ameliorating soil acidity on the growth of annual ryegrass in wheat.
The key finding was that applying and incorporating lime is the best way to increase the pH of acidic soils, but it usually takes several years before a surface lime application has a measurable effect on soil pH at depth.
Incorporation is the best way to speed up the process and also releases other soil nutrients to boost crop growth. I’ll link this article in the podcast notes!
Check it out here.