WEST Midlands broadacre farmers have struggled to combat weeds this growing season due to sprayers becoming bogged in soggy paddocks or the frequency of showers preventing regular treatment applications.
Eganu farmer Tim Hayes, who farms with paents David and Paul Hayes, said weeds were always an issue, particularly during a wet year.
“We did manage to get two really good opportunities to control weeds through our Roundup Ready canola this year, but we still had germinations of ryegrass coming through,” Tim said.
He said that while the rain was needed, it was more extensive and sudden than expected.
“We had a big wash on our property at the start of the season and it washed away in places we have never seen before,” he said.
“Dad said he’s never seen the place flood like that in all his years.”
The Hayes family is hosting the West Midlands Group’s (WMG) annual Spring Field Day on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at its Eganu property, east of Warradarge.
Despite the tricky start to the growing season, Tim is positive the site is a great location for the region’s annual Spring Field Day.
“You can’t control everything in farming, so I think a season like this, with crops that look great and some that don’t look so great is a good opportunity to look at what did or didn’t work and how to better prepare for next year,” he said.
Among the trials showcased in this year’s Spring Field Day is Bayer Crop Science’s (trading as Monsanto Australia Pty Ltd) TruFlex canola with Roundup Ready technology.
Bayer Crop Science canola regional manager Hugh Trenorden said TruFlex canola was the company’s second-generation weed control trait, offering enhanced tolerance to glyphosate which adds flexibility to the way glyphosate is used to manage weeds.
“This year has been a high-pressure weed year due the favourable rainfall conditions, so Bayer has identified that this trait will be beneficial to farmers to better combat weeds,” Mr Trenorden said.
“We can use higher rates of Roundup Ready Herbicide with PLANTSHIELD by Monsanto and spray that over a longer timing until first flower.”
Mr Trenorden and a team of experts would be at the WMG Spring Field Day next week, offering on-site accreditation to those interested.
Before a farmer can grow TruFlex canola, it is a requirement that they go through an accreditation process and sign a licence and stewardship agreement (LSA) for every new trait.
“By doing this on the day, there is one less barrier to accessing and growing TruFlex canola,” Mr Trenorden said.
WMG’s Spring Field Day will include presentations from livestock and cropping experts, National Variety Trials and more.
