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Abstract
Organic crops are on the increase worldwide and weed control is one of the main problems since chemicals cannot be used. Wide row lupin sowing systems (greater than 50 cm wide rows) are becoming common in Western Australia (WA) and this allows growers to control inter–row weeds by inter-row cultivation for organic crops or spraying non-selective herbicides using shielded sprayers. In this study, inter-row shielded spraying was found to be the most effective treatment for annual ryegrass control in the 66 cm wide rows, but future herbicide resistance will be a major limitation. With shielded spraying, some form of intra-row weed control will still be necessary to significantly reduce weed seed set. Automatic tractor steering control would also be essential for commercial growers to adopt shielded spraying. In 2006, inter-row cultivation reduced annual ryegrass biomass by 63% and the number of annual ryegrass heads by 43%, but this did not result in a significant increase in lupin yield. To be most effective, it is suggested that inter-row cultivation should be done relatively early while the weeds are small, and when the soil is relatively warm and dry with rain not predicted for a day or two. In 2006 and 2007, inter-row shielded spraying with glyphosate gave the best ryegrass control averaging 94%. Weed seed head trimming or cutting weeds above the crop prior to weed seed maturity may be a useful non-chemical method to reduce the number of weed seeds set if the weed seed is above the crop canopy and the cutting height is well controlled. Indian hedge mustard (Sisymbrium orientale) seed collected in the 2005 chickpea harvest samples was reduced by around 35% with all trimming treatments. In 2006, the late flower trimming reduced the seed number of wild oats and volunteer wheat in chickpeas. Lupin and chickpea grain yield was slightly reduced by trimming in 2005, but with improved height control did not reduce yields in 2006. Given the difficulties in controlling weeds by the growers due to widespread development of herbicide resistance in these weeds within the WA wheatbelt, this novel non-chemical way of weed control is a viable promising option to reduce the soil weed seed bank.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
G.P. Riethmuller
Glen Philip Riethmuller is a Development Officer at the Department of Agriculture and Food at the Dryland Research Institute in Merredin, Western Australia. He completed his BEng (Agric) at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, in 1979, and MS (Agric. Eng.) at the Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA, in 1982. Glen started work at Merredin in 1982 and has worked on various projects, including energy in tillage, wheat row spacing, sowing machinery for improved wheat and canola establishment, lupin and lentil harvesting modifications, precision farming systems with yield mapping using handheld GPS, injecting lime on a deep ripper with an airseeder delivery system, semi-leafless field pea harvesting improvements, and recent work on chemical and non-chemical weed control in wide row lupins. His work has taken Glen to the USA for an agricultural engineering conference in Sacramento, California, and to Oregon to show researchers how to reduce lupin and chickpea harvesting losses. He also recently presented to the Physical and Cultural Weed Control Workshop of the European Weed Research Society in Germany. Glen is a member of Engineers Australia’s Mechanical College and the Society for Engineering in Agriculture, as well as the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.
A. Hashem
Dr Abul Hashem is a Senior Research Officer and Research Leader, Department of Agriculture and Food, Northam, Western Australia. He has 29 years experience in weed science, agronomy and cropping systems in Asia, USA and Australia. In Australia, he has successfully completed five major GRDC-funded projects on applied weed management, herbicide resistance management, and biology and management of emerging weeds such as Dodder. Abul has contributed to the CRC for Australian Weed Management as a team member and a Leader of Projects that addressed issues with summer weed control, weed control in wide row lupin crops, utilising the competitiveness of pulses, and establishing crops in high stubble to achieve maximum crop competitiveness. Abul has published 56 refereed papers, 79 proceedings in national and international conferences, and 23 semi-scientific papers in periodicals. He is a regular scientific reviewer for AJAR, AJCPS, Weed Science, Weed Technology, Weed Research, Plant Protection Quarterly, Invasive Plant Science and Management (USA), Iranian Journal of Weed Science, Australian Weeds Conference and Australian Agronomy conferences. He is also serving on the Editorial Board of Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research.
S.M. Pathan
Dr Shahabuddin M Pathan works with the Natural Resource Management Division of the Department of Agriculture and Food, Narrogin, Western Australia. He completed a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with Honours from the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) in 1989. After graduation, he worked for five years at BADC (Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation) as an Assistant Director (Crop Production). In January 1996, Shahabuddin migrated to Australia and, in May 1998, completed a Masters of Science in Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). In February 2003, he completed a PhD in Agriculture with Distinction from the University of Western Australia (UWA). After completion of his PhD degree, Shahabuddin started to work with the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Since 1996, he has published 17 articles in scientific journals, and presented around 20 seminar/lectures at international and national conferences.