Studies on the control of water-dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides) in South Australia

Water-dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides L.), a tuberous perennial herb, is currently known in South Australia from only a single locality in the Mount Lofty Ranges. There is little information on water-dropwort control, and 2 experiments were conducted to assess the effects of sowing pasture, with or without presowing herbicides, on the control of this weed. Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and perennial clovers were successfully introduced into infested pastures by direct drilling in autumn. Water-dropwort regenerated from seed more densely in unsown plots than plots of established perennial pasture, suggesting that upgrading pastures may be a strategy to reduce the rate of spread by seed of this weed. A range of herbicide treatments applied to waterdropwort at the stem elongation stage in spring before autumn sowing of pastures provided effective shortterm control. The best short-term control was provided by glyphosate at 1440 g a.i./ha; metsulfuron methyl at 6, 12, and 36 g a.i./ha; and metsulfuron methyl at 12 g a.i./ha tank-mixed with glyphosate or 2,4-D amine at 720 or 1000 g a.i./ha, respectively. These treatments, and chlorsulfuron at 21 g a.i./ha, also significantly (P<0.05) reduced water-dropwort abundance (relative to untreated areas) for up to 18 months after sowing and initially improved the density of sown pasture species, but these improvements were not evident 14 months after resowing. Although prior season herbicide treatments controlled water-dropwort in newly sown pastures, 2 separate applications of herbicides, in May and October, gave no better control of water-dropwort than a single herbicide application in spring. Water-dropwort infestations do not appear to prevent successful direct drilling of phalaris and perennial clovers. Although pasture renovation did not provide long-term suppression of water-dropwort, the maintenance of vigorous pastures may reduce the rate of population growth from seedlings of this weed. Recropping restrictions may limit the role of chlorsulfuron for water-dropwort control in pasture renovation situations.