Looking beyond Glyphosate for Site-Specific Fallow Weed Control in Australian Grain Production

Summer annual weed species in northern Australian summer fallows are frequently present at low densities and, increasingly, are glyphosate-resistant, creating the need for alternative herbicides for site-specific weed control. Alternative non-selective herbicide treatments are effective on problematic summer fallow weeds; however, many are yet to be evaluated as site-specific (spot spraying) treatments. This study aimed to identify herbicides that could be used in place of glyphosate to control larger/mature Chloris virgata and Sonchus oleraceus plants. The response of these weed species to 12 herbicide treatments was evaluated in pot experiments conducted over summer/autumn 2022. Despite herbicide treatments not being consistently effective across both species, there were instances where control was achieved by some herbicide treatments. S. oleraceus was controlled (i.e., ≤10% plant survival) by glufosinate-ammonium, paraquat and also with protoporphyrinogen-oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides saflufenacil, tiafenacil and trifludimoxazin. However, these results were not consistent in repeated studies or for C. virgata. Glyphosate was the only herbicide that controlled C. virgata. A glyphosate replacement as a spot-spraying treatment was not identified, and until further studies are more successful, alternative approaches are needed to preserve the ongoing effectiveness of this herbicide.