Beating barley grass despite resistance and dormancy challenges
April 28, 2023
Once upon a time, barley grass germinated on the opening winter rains, and if you had a problem in a break crop or pasture, a splash of Fop herbicide would be the answer to your problems.
Now, we are faced with more dormant barley grass with staggered germinations, and we’re starting to see resistance to herbicides that once worked.
Resistance is rare, but on the rise. We can beat it with 3-4 years of seed set control, using break crops and agronomic systems that include early and late season weed control, along with careful herbicide choice, but it requires more consideration than it did in the past.
Catherine Borger (DPIRD), Ben Whisson (ConsultAg) and Peter Newman (WeedSmart) discussed these new challenges, and some research and observations about how we will manage barley grass into the future.
Topics covered include:
- The problem with barley grass
- Resistance testing
- Management – some examples
- MIG – Break crops
- KDG – Pasture manipulation
- FACEY/WANTFA – Crop competition
- LIFT – Delayed seeding
- SEPWA – Soil constraints
Relevant resources
Related Articles
View all
Podcast
S11E6: Regional Update – Joe Koch, Flinders Ranges, SA
Joe and his family run a mixed "crops and chops" operation in separate high and low rainfall zones. With a rare wet start under their belts, they've been faced with higher numbers of ryegrass, barley grass, marshmallow weed, capeweed and milk thistle! Read More...
Podcast
S11E5: Beyond Resistance – Growing the Next Gen of Agronomists with Nutrien’s Rachel Minett and Tom Shaw
Shannon chats with South Coastal Agencies Lead Agronomist Rachel Minnett and Nutrien Farm Services Agronomist Tom Shaw about bridging the gap between university training and practical farm agronomy skills. Read More...
Webinar
Fighting Fleabane!
Replay this webinar for a cross-country look at what is and isn’t working for fleabane control in each growing region. Read More...
Podcast
S11E4: Regional Update – Will Woolcock, Emerald, QLD
Will gives advice on fallow and in-crop chemistry and cautions growers against an over-reliance on glyphosate and glufosinate. He'd recommend looking into strategic tillage and crop rotations! Read More...
Fact Sheet
Smart rotations: Farming systems for the future
A brief history of research on crop and pasture rotations, an outline of the potential benefits from pasture-crop and crop-crop combinations. Read More...
Fact Sheet
Research paper: Strategic tillage in Australian conservation agricultural systems to address soil constraints
Growers who understand the impacts of soil amelioration on weed demography, can better plan weed management strategies to apply after tillage. Read More...