A grower survey of weeds and herbicide use in the New South Wales cotton industry

1991 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
GW Charles

In 1989, 52 cotton growers from the 7 major cotton areas of New South Wales were surveyed regarding their weed-control costs, major weed problems and herbicide use. This paper presents and discusses the major results from this survey. On average, weed control costs the cotton grower $A187/ha annually, the major components being $76/ha for cotton herbicides and $67/ha for hand chipping. The major cotton weeds are Xanthium occidentale, X. spinosum, Cyperus spp., Physalis spp. and Ipomoea lonchophylla. Although these weeds affect a large proportion of the cotton-growing area, their incidence is generally stable or declining under the current management systems. However, Cyperus spp., which presently affect 15% of the cotton area, are escaping the weed management practices and rapidly becoming the major weed problem in many fields. Diplachne fusca is a major weed on irrigation channels and is not controlled by the registered herbicides. Trifluralin, diuron and fluometuron herbicides are used in cotton by over 60% of cotton growers. Glyphosate is used by 59% of growers in fallows prior to cotton, and atrazine, diuron and glyphosate are used on irrigation channels by over 60% of growers. Generally, cotton growers are dissatisfied with t h e high cost of weed control and the ineffectiveness of control of some problem weeds such as Cyperus spp.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Cooper

Summary. Cotton growers in the Macquarie, Namoi and Gwydir Valleys of New South Wales were surveyed in 1992 to determine what crops are grown in rotation with cotton, how frequently rotation crops are used, and what influences the grower’s choice of rotation system. A total of 155 properties were surveyed, covering 100, 49 and 58% of irrigated cotton produced in the Macquarie, Namoi and Gwydir Valleys, respectively. Although a large part of the 1992–93 cotton crop (61% by area) did not follow a rotation crop, there was widespread interest in rotations and 70% of properties had used rotations. Wheat was by far the most widely grown rotation crop, but there was considerable interest in other crops, especially legumes. The perceived benefits from rotation crops reported by most growers were better soil structure, less disease in following cotton, and more soil organic matter. However, when asked why they preferred certain rotation crops, these factors did not rate highly with growers. Crops that were easy to grow and gave the best financial returns possessed the main features sought in a rotation crop. The greatest problem in growing rotation crops was a lack of irrigation water. It is not surprising that this problem ranked highly because when the survey was conducted, the Namoi and Gwydir Valleys had water allocations of 15 and 0%, respectively. Not having suitable equipment to sow rotation crops was also a problem for 17% of growers, but 10% encountered no problems. The survey also investigated the use of permanent beds and retained hills. These practices have benefits for soil structure, and are almost essential for rotation crops which need to be sown as soon as the cotton is harvested. Over 80% of growers using rotations had adopted some form of permanent beds or retained hills. The benefit which ranked highest was a reduction in costs, followed by less soil compaction. Some growers (44%) who used permanent beds or retained hills had no problems, but handling the trash and keeping the rows straight were of concern to others.



Soil Research ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Miklos ◽  
Michael G. Short ◽  
Alex B. McBratney ◽  
Budiman Minasny

The reliable assessment of soil carbon stock is of key importance for soil conservation and mitigation strategies related to reducing atmospheric carbon. Measuring and monitoring soil carbon is complex because carbon pools cycle and rates of carbon sequestration vary across the landscape due to climate, soil type, and management practices. A new methodology has been developed and applied to make an assessment of the distribution of total, organic, and inorganic carbon at a grains research and grazing property in northern New South Wales at a high spatial resolution. In this study, baseline soil carbon maps were created using fine resolution, geo-referenced, proximal sensor data. Coupled with a digital elevation model and secondary terrain attributes, all of the data layers were combined by k-means clustering to develop a stratified random soil sampling scheme for the survey area. Soil samples taken at 0.15-m increments to a depth of 1 m were scanned with a mid-infrared spectrometer, which was calibrated using a proportion of the samples that were analysed in a laboratory for total carbon and inorganic carbon content. This combination of new methodologies and technologies has the potential to provide large volumes of reliable, fine resolution and timely data required to make baseline assessments, mapping, monitoring, and verification possible. This method has the potential to make soil carbon management and trading at the farm-scale possible by quantifying the carbon stock to a depth of 1 m and at a high spatial resolution.



2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Werth ◽  
C. Preston ◽  
G. N. Roberts ◽  
I. N. Taylor

Forty growers in 4 major cotton-growing regions in Australia were surveyed in 2003 to investigate how the adoption of glyphosate-tolerant cotton (Roundup Ready) had influenced herbicide use, weed management techniques, and whether changes to the weed spectrum could be identified. The 10 most common weeds reported on cotton fields were the same in glyphosate-tolerant and conventional fields in this survey. Herbicide use patterns were altered by the adoption of glyphosate-tolerant cotton with up to 6 times more glyphosate usage, but 21% fewer growers applying pre-emergence herbicides in glyphosate-tolerant fields. Other weed control practices such as the use of post-emergence herbicides, inter-row cultivation and hand hoeing were only reduced marginally. However, growers indicated that management practices are likely to change over time, especially with the introduction of enhanced glyphosate tolerance technology (Roundup Ready Flex), and anticipate a 32% decrease in the number of growers using alternative weed management practices. To date, management practices other than glyphosate use have not changed markedly in glyphosate-tolerant cotton indicating a conservative approach by growers adopting this technology and reflecting the narrow window of herbicide application. The range of weed control options still being employed in glyphosate-tolerant cotton would not increase the risk of glyphosate resistance development.



Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
B. Kelly ◽  
C. Allan ◽  
B. P. Wilson

'Soil health' programs and projects in Australia's agricultural districts are designed to influence farmers' management behaviours, usually to produce better outcomes for production, conservation, and sustainability. These programs usually examine soil management practices from a soil science perspective, but how soils are understood by farmers, and how that understanding informs their farm management decisions, is poorly documented. The research presented in this paper sought to better understand how dryland farmers in the Billabong catchment of southern New South Wales use soil indicators to inform their management decisions. Thematic content analysis of transcripts of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with farmers suggest several themes that have implications for soil scientists and other professionals wishing to promote soil health in the dryland farming regions of south-eastern Australia. In particular, all soil indicators, including those related to soil 'health', need to relate to some clear, practical use to farmers if they are to be used in farm decision making. This research highlights a reliance of the participants of this research on agronomists. Reliance on agronomists for soil management decisions may result in increasing loss of connectivity between farmers and their land. If this reflects a wider trend, soil health projects may need to consider where best to direct their capacity-building activities, and/or how to re-empower individual farmers.



1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (117) ◽  
pp. 310 ◽  
Author(s):  
JF Holland ◽  
DW McNamara

Six experiments were done in northern New South Wales over three seasons to study the effect of weeds on the yield of dry-land grain sorghum and methods of weed control. The relation between crop row spacing and weed control by inter-row cultivation or atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino- 6-isopropylamino-l,3,5-triazine), or both was studied. Where the site yield was high because of favourable growing conditions, an increase in the crop row spacing reduced yield. At low yielding sites, an increase in the row spacing increased yields. At most sites, weed growth was greater with wider row spacings, which resulted in a larger reduction in crop yield where weeds were not removed. Inter-row cultivation reduced weed growth to less than half that of the unweeded controls. Pre-emergent atrazine gave good weed suppression, generally reducing weed growth to less than 10% of the unweeded control when applied at 2.5 kg/ha active ingredient. Post-emergent atrazine was much less effective. Inter-row cultivation combined with a band of pre-emergent atrazine over the crop row was as effective in weed control as an overall spray of pre-emergent atrazine.



1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 959 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAE Lattimore

Legume-based pastures have long been an integral part of rice growing in the southern New South Wales irrigation areas and still offer potential to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the temperate rice-cropping system.This paper reviews both historical and current aspects of pastures in temperate rice rotations in southern New South Wales and highlights the importance of pastures in sustaining this cropping system as environmental pressures increase. Topics discussed include pasture species and rotations, their role in improving soil fertility and sustainability, the value of pastures in weed control, and their management for maximum profitability.



1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (7) ◽  
pp. 921 ◽  
Author(s):  
DC Godwin ◽  
WS Meyer ◽  
U Singh

Evidence exists that night temperatures <18�C immediately preceding flowering in rice crops can adversely affect floret fertility and, hence, yields. It has been suggested that sterility induced by low temperature is also influenced by floodwater depth and nitrogen (N) rate. In southern New South Wales, low night-time temperatures are believed to be a major constraint to the achievement of consistently high yields. The availability of a comprehensive model of rice growth and yield that is sensitive to this constraint would aid the development of better management practices. CERES RICE is a comprehensive model that simulates the phasic development of a rice crop, the growth of its leaves, stems, roots, and panicles, and their response to weather. It also simulates the water and N balances of the crop and the effects of stresses of water and N on the yield-forming processes. The model has been extensively tested in many rice-growing systems in both tropical and temperate environments. However, the original model was unable to simulate the level of chilling injury evident from yield data from southern New South Wales. This paper reports modifications made in the model to simulate these effects and the evaluation of the model in environments of low night temperature. Inclusion of the chilling injury effect greatly improved the accuracy of estimated yields from treatments in an extensive field experiment. However, additional testing with a wider range of data sets is needed to confirm the international applicability of the modifications.



2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 675 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Bush ◽  
R. Barnett ◽  
I. J. Links ◽  
P. A. Windsor

The prevalence of Caseous lymphadenitis (CLA) in Australia was estimated to be 5.2% using 2009 abattoir surveillance data from all States supplied by Animal Health Australia involving 5029 lines comprising 1 339 463 sheep. This is a decrease from the 26% estimated in a similar study in 1995. There was a significant difference (P < 0.001) in CLA prevalence between all states except Tasmania and Victoria (P = 0.75) with prevalences of 12.8 and 12.9%, respectively. Western Australia recorded the lowest prevalence with 1.0%. The average CLA prevalence for New South Wales was 5.3% and within three surveyed Livestock Health and Pest Authority regions (Tablelands, Central North and Central West) was 2.9, 4.9 and 4.4%, respectively. The attitude of the majority of producers surveyed in these three Livestock Health and Pest Authority areas was that CLA was of little or no significance (75%) but were aware of the need for CLA control with ~68% using 6-in-1 vaccine, though only 39.9% as recommended. It appears that the prolonged use of CLA vaccination has been successful in reducing the prevalence of CLA across Australia and particularly in New South Wales. Further improvements in communication of information on preventative management practices associated with lice control, importance of using an approved vaccination program, plus increasing producers’ awareness of the importance of CLA control, are indicated.



2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Cole ◽  
Ian D. Lunt ◽  
Terry Koen

Temperate grassy woodlands are endangered ecosystems in Australia, and many degraded remnants are in desperate need of understorey restoration. This experiment compared the effects of soil disturbance, weed control and mulch treatments on establishment of the original dominant grass, Themeda triandra Forssk., in a degraded white box (Eucalyptus albens Benth.) woodland at Cowra in central New South Wales (NSW). Awned Themeda seeds were surface-sown into replicated plots treated as follows: soil scalping, soil disturbance (by ripping), herbicide (simazine) application and retention of natural mulch. Scalping combined with soil disturbance best promoted Themeda establishment (47.8% after 40 days and 28% after 518 days), and also reduced broadleaf-herb densities. By contrast, scalping without soil disturbance had the worst effect on Themeda establishment (5.2% after 40 days and 4.5% after 518 days). Disturbance significantly enhanced Themeda establishment and decreased the density of annual grasses and the basal cover of non-Themeda species. By contrast, the retention of 500–800 kg of natural surface mulch had no apparent effect on Themeda establishment. Contrary to expectations, simazine reduced the density and basal cover of all species, including Themeda, which is normally resistant to this herbicide. All combinations of the mulched, disturbed and herbicide treatments (i.e. all treatments except scalping) gave similar results, ranging from 10.7 to 22.0 Themeda plants m–2 after 518 days. These results suggest that Themeda stands can be established in degraded box woodlands by using awned seed materials, with minimal seedbed preparation and simple sowing techniques. Further studies are required to determine whether established swards can resist weed invasion in the absence of ongoing weed management, and whether establishment success varies with soil conditions and landscape position.



1975 ◽  
Vol 15 (75) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
WL Felton ◽  
AC Gleeson

Three experiments were done at Tamworth, New South Wales, on weed control during lucerne establishment. In experiment 1, autumn sown, trifluralin incorporated in the soil eight weeks before sowing provided better control than benefin of grasses (mainly Poa annua) and deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule). Neither of these treatments controlled shepherds purse (Capsella bursa pastoris), reduced lucerne density nor increased its yield. Post emergent treatment with 2,4-DB or prometryne increased lucerne yield, the latter being the more effective. In experiment 2, also autumn sown, the problem weeds were deadnettle and shepherds purse. Trifluralin and benefin both increased lucerne yield when applied either one or three weeks before sowing, but hay quality, as gauged by weed contamination, was not improved. Post emergent application of prometryne increased lucerne yield and improved the quality of the hay. Experiment 3 was spring sown. The problem weed, barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp), was controlled by benefin and trifluralin, resulting in greater lucerne yield and better hay quality. Trifluralin was more effective when applied three weeks before sowing compared with one week.



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