Summer Weed Management

JANUARY 22, 2019

As we await the rain that ‘should’ be coming in the next few months leading up to sowing, it’s important to remember that we are right in the middle of a key period for managing weeds in our cropping paddocks.  “With soil moisture at a premium, there is nothing spare to waste on summer-growing weeds” which is why BROOKFIELD recommend a pass with a ChainBar to encourage weeds to come up early so they can be removed with another pass before seeding.

“With four of the most difficult to control summer weeds, feathertop Rhodes grass (FTR), awnless barnyard grass, common sowthistle and flaxleaf fleabane, now with confirmed cases of glyphosate resistance, the pressure is on to find effective non-herbicide control tactics. These weeds can produce 40,000, 42,000, 25,000 and 110,000 seeds per plant respectively. Other studies have found that these numbers could be even higher, so every effort to reduce seed production is worthwhile.”

If you’re dealing with weeds in stubble paddocks, a pass with a ChainBar fitted with Disc Chains of your choice ensures that your leftover stubble is laid down and crushed to create a mulch-like protective layer over your soil reducing evaporation and boosting microbial activity. The ChainBar can be fitted to manage weeds and stubble; this allows you to retain soil moisture, save money on chemical costs and remove weeds that are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides.

The entire range of BROOKFIELD Disc Chains can be fitted to this implement frame ensuring that all tillage needs are covered from dealing with leftover stubble after harvest to preparing the ground for seeding.

Talk to us today about how the BROOKFIELD ChainBar can assist your farm operation in reducing chemical costs and remove those summer weeds for good!

Source: Grain Central, ‘Stiff crop competition combats summer weeds’, 20 December 2018, https://www.graincentral.com/cropping/stiff-crop-competition-combats-summer-weeds/