NSW and Queensland grain growers have the opportunity to hear directly from their Western Australian counterparts about the practicalities of using harvest weed seed control techniques to reduce weed populations at a series of workshops in northern NSW this month.

Michael Walsh

Supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the half-day Harvest Weed Seed Control workshops are being conducted by The University of Sydney.

The workshops will discuss the latest research results and harvest weed seed control options, including the Integrated Harrington Seed Destructor (iHSD), the practicalities of burning 10,000 hectares of windrows, chaff tramlining, chaff carts and weed management.

Workshop presenter, Plant Breeding Institute weed research director, Michael Walsh, Narrabri, said WA growers including iHSD inventor Ray Harrington, Darkan, Lance Turner, Corrigin, and Andrew Messina, Mullewa, would give presentations at the workshops.

“WA growers have pioneered and widely adopted a range of techniques targeting weed seeds during harvest, prompted by high frequencies of herbicide resistant annual weed populations,” Dr Walsh said.

“Growers have recognised the science behind these systems for a long time. The workshops are an opportunity for WA growers to explain, grower to grower as expert practitioners, the how, why and what it means to them to use harvest weed seed control tools in their farming operations.”

Workshop details:

• Monday, September 19, 1pm-5pm, Moree, contact Rob Long, 0428 971 751
• Tuesday, September 20, 1pm-5pm, Narrabri, PBI, contact Michael Walsh, 0448 847 272
• Wednesday, September 21, 1pm-5pm, Nowley, Spring Ridge, contact Pete McKenzie, 0428 474 860
• Thursday, September 22, 8.30am-12.30pm, Parkes Services Club, contact Maurie Street, 0400 066 201