Summary

Small changes in rice crop yield potential due to weed management show massive returns on investment in herbicide products. Given the high cost of inputs and value of the final product, effective weed control is essential in attaining economic returns from rice.
Direct seeding of rice will not produce economic returns if weeds are left unmanaged.
This project seeks to continue to develop practical and legal methods of ensuring rice crops are maintained free of weed competition and achieve their highest economic yield potential.
Herbicides with alternative mode of action are required to manage herbicide resistance.
BASF developmental herbicide saflufenacil was identified by the Principal Investigator as an important new candidate herbicide for broadleaf weed control in water seeded rice. Two years of testing by the Principal Investigator have highlighted its potential. Additional data will be required to secure registration.

Program

Rice

Research Organisation

Agropraisals Pty Ltd

Objective Summary

Development of integrated weed management strategies to suit contemporary rice production with a variable and unpredictable water supply.
In short this will be targetted at generating data using saflufenacil in rice as a novel MOA herbicide for aquatic broadleaf weed control in water seeded rice.
If successful, results generated will ultimately lead to additional herbicide products registered for legal use by Australian ricegrowers ensuring more rice produced for a given water allocation, more robust weed control practices, greater competition for grower’s weed control investment and weed free crops with high profit potential.