Control of barley grass in a pasture-wheat-barley rotation

Barley grass is becoming an increasingly problematic weed in Western Australia. A GRDC funded project sought to increase adoption of integrated weed management tactics for barley grass, by working with grower groups to develop regionally appropriate rotations for optimal control.A survey indicated that in growers in the northern wheatbelt felt that barley grass was most likely to be a major problem in pasture, and a common response is use of Group A herbicide to remove grass in pasture. However, given how easy it is to develop Group A resistance, the group wanted to investigate other chemical and non-chemical options in pasture, as well as the impact of late seeding and pre-emergent herbicide for barley grass control in crop.This three year trial aimed to investigate slashing and spray topping in pasture in 2019, and then time of sowing and pre-emergent herbicides in wheat in 2020 and canola in 2021.