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Wiping Out Tall Weeds, Brad Rayner

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Control of weeds is an on-going battle for farmers, with many weapons becoming increasingly expensive. A refreshing exception to this trend is the blanket wiper, a cheap but effective meens of applying herbicides to taller weeds in pasture. Brad Rayner explains how it works.

Control Take-All And Gain Other Benefits Of Eliminating Grass From Ley Pastures By Chemical Manipulation, W J. Macleod, Gordon Macnish

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Take-all is the most serious root disease of wheat and barley in Western Australia.

The fungus which causes take-all (Gaeumannomyces graminis var tritici) is wide spread throughout the wheatbelt but is most common in the high and medium rainfall regions (400mm to 750mm average annual rainfall, see map).

Elsewhere in the wheatbelt the presence of take-all affected cereal plants and the loss of crop yield may go unnoticed unless the roots of cereal plants are examined in detail.

Tolerance Of Cereal Crops To Herbicides, D G. Bowran

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Herbicides have come to play an important role in the control of weeds in Western Australian cereal crops, with some estimates showing that sufficient herbicide was applied to treat every hectare of cereal grown in 1984.

While the use of herbicides reduces competition from weeds, they may have a hidden cost. As chemicals which affect plants, herbicides may also affect plants, herbicides may also affect and damage the crop which they are protecting. The crop may possibly fail, and some or all of the economic benefits obtained from the chemical control of weeds may not be realised.

Beating The Blackberry, J H. Moore, E. B. Hoskins

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

The blackberry is an aggressive, strongly-growing plant that has spread throughout parts of the south-west of Western Australia.

Although most blackberry infestations on agricultural land have been dramatically reduced since compulsory control measures were introduced 30 years ago, about 3,600 hectares are still infested today.

Recent research has shown that three new herbicides are highly effective against blackberry, and much safer to use than the older ones.

Effective biological control of blackberry may also be possible.

The Control Of Annual Ryegrass, Geoffrey A. Pearce, J. E. Holmes

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A valuable pasture plant - one of the worst weeds if cereal crops - host to a potent animal disease toxin.....annual ryegrass is the subject of intensive studies by the Department of Agriculture.

This article reviews current research into the control of annual ryegrass in crops.

Spray-Graze : The Answer To Weeds In Pastures, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

W.A. Department of Agriculture research leads to a new technique for weed control in pastures.

The trials which led to the development of the spray-graze technique of weed control started in Western Australia in 1966.

Since 1969, spray-graze has been tried in other States of Australia and is now recognised as the most practical method of controlling many pasture weeds.

The Economics Of Spray Seed, J W. Malcolm

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE "Spray Seed"* technique has many advantages over conventional cultivation methods of weed control. Some of these are matters of convenience, preference or opinion, and these cannot be measured in general economic terms.

However, most farmers are in the business to make money and as making money becomes harder they are more concerned with the extra money a new move is likely to earn for them.

How Profitable Are Herbicides For Weeds In Crops?, J W. Malcolm, G. A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

BEFORE spending money on chemical weed control in crops, a farmer needs to know how profitable the operation will be. He may also be influenced by other things such as the need for weed-free seed, but the most important consideration should be an increased cash return.

If a herbicide is used to control weeds in a crop, the extra yield achieved must be worth more than the cost of the herbicide and its application for the treatment to be profitable.

This article gives guidelines to help farmers estimate the likely profitability of herbicide treatments for quota and non-quota crops.

A Cheaper Herbicide For Wild Oats, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

A NEW herbicide, *NEOBAN, will reduce the cost of chemical for the control of wild oats in wheat and barley to $2.50 per acre.

Because of the cost of herbicides for wild oats during the past two years, the acreage treated has been declining steadily.

Farmers who thought that spending about $4 per acre was worth while will be delighted with Neoban.

Chemical Cultivation : Its Place In Crop Planting, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PROGRESS in the field of chemical weed control has been spectacular in recent years. Despite the cut-back in expenditure on herbicides, the idea of replacing cultivation with chemical sprays is attracting great interest.

Progress In Research On Noxious Weeds, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

RESEARCH on noxious weeds has enabled the development of many practical methods for the control of these weeds.

Where the recommended treatments have been accepted by farmers, large scale operations have reduced the areas infested and stopped spread into new paddocks.

Chemical Ploughing, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PROGRESS in the field of chemical weed control has been spectacular in recent years. One field that is attracting interest is the idea of replacing cultivation with chemical sprays.

Weed Control In Pastures : A Practical Approach For Sheep Areas, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IN the past, chemical treatments for the control of weeds in pastures have been costly and severe on pasture, and have had to be repeated over a number of years. The method outlined in this article overcomes nearly all these disadvantages.

The Control Of Weeds In Cereals, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PRACTICALLY all broadleaved weeds found in cereals can now be killed with herbicides and with most, the farmer has a choice of chemicals.

Two more new products are now available and these have several advantages over other herbicides.

Chemical Firebreaks, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

MANY public bodies are making regular use of herbicides to create firebreaks. In Western Australia more than $200,000 is being spent on chemicals each year to protect property from fire.

In many situations where the buildings and property are of great value, the cost of the chemical becomes insignificant.

Control Of Wild Oats, J G. Paterson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

WILD OATS are widespread throughout the world.

Their importance can be gauged from the fact that in the wheat growing areas of Canada and the U.S.A. some 60 million acres are infested.

Two chemicals are now available for the control of wild oats in wheat. This article compares their relative merits and gives recommendations for their use.

The Control Of Doublegee, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

FOUR years ago no practical recommendations could be made for the control of doublegee.

With money provided by the State Wheat Research Fund, research has been undertaken into the control of this weed, and there is now no reason why most farmers cannot bring doublegee under control.

Watch Out For Afghan Thistle, J G. Paterson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

ALTHOUGH known throughout the cereal and sheep districts of Western Australia as Afghan thistle, this plant is not really a thistle at all.

It belongs to the large botanical family of the Solonaceae and is closely related to the garden vegetables tomato and potato.

Linuron : A Success In 1966?, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Although some of the farmers who used linuron last year reported poor results, there is little doubt that this is the best herbicide since the advent of 2,4-D for weed control in cereals. This article gives the reasons for failure in some of last season's crops, and recommendations for use of linuron in 1967.

The Control Of Weeds In Cereals, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

PROBABLY the simplest way of obtaining an increase in crop yield is to control the weeds present.

Nearly a million acres of cereal crops are sprayed by aircraft each year and when the area treated by ground units is added, something like 20 per cent of the total area sown is sprayed with herbicides.

Linuron : A New Herbicide For Cereal Crops, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DURING two years of trials on both pastures and cereals Linuron has proved itself to be a valuable addition to the range of chemicals for the control of weeds in cereals.

It has a good crop tolerance safety factor and controls a wider range of weeds than most other herbicides.

Recommendations For Doublegee, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Is it worth losing the legume component of the pasture in order to kill the doublegee?

Damage Caused By Hormone-Like Herbicides, G R W Meadly

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE discovery of the selective action of herbicides such as 2,4-D and MCPA resulted in a rapid expansion in the use of these chemicals for agricultural purposes, particularly for the control of weeds in cereal crops.

Herbicides For Firebreaks, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

IN recent years, great interest has been shown in the possible use of chemicals for creating firebreaks as an alternative to cultivation.

The advantages are obvious, and suitable treatments are available; the main deterrent at the present time is cost.

A Herbicide For Native Poison Plants, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

THE usual method of killing poison plants is by a programme of ploughing, cropping and burning.

The burning not only destroys a proportion of the plants, but stimulates the germination of dormant seeds, which otherwise would remain in the soil in a viable condition for many years.

Control Of Bamboos, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Bamboos can be controlled by spraying with a solution containing 2,2-DPA.

Control Of Perennial Grasses, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Perennial grasses such as paspalum, kikuyu and couch can be controlled by spraying with a solution containing 2,2-DPA.

This is a non-poisonous powder which is sold under a variety of trade names.

A Chemical For Doublegee, Geoffrey A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

DURING the past two years, finance has been made available from the State Wheat Research Fund for an intensive study on doublegee.

A newly-developed herbicide has been shown to give complete control of growing plants, while ecological studies have started to yield valuable information about seed behaviour.

Saffron Thistle, B J. Quinlivan, H. A. Pearce

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Saffron thistle is a declared primary noxious weed in Western Australia and is especially troublesome in the northern agricultural areas.

Field trials aimed at finding the cheapest and most effective method of controlling the weed have shown that 2,4-D applied at the correct stage is the best chemical to use.

Docks, Department Of Agriculture, Western Australia

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Some very encouraging results have been obtained by spraying docks with a solution containing Dicamba.

This herbicide was previously known as Banvel D and is distributed under the trade name of Banex, which contains 20 per cent, active ingredient.