Graeme Hardwick, AgNova Technologies’ area manager for South Australia, Sunraysia and Western Australia, is seeing tree crop growers switching back to residual herbicides to save time and money and avoid problems with resistance to glyphosate.

Attack by opportunistic pathogens

It’s back to the future in orchard weed control this season as growers return to residual herbicides to control weeds.

Glyphosate is one of the most highly used herbicides in the world because it is economical, easy to use, broad-spectrum, and kills quickly.

Many growers struggle to complete jobs in time. Weather conditions also delay many jobs. So what can help this situation?

Pre-emergent herbicides are a useful tool for combating weeds. They are generally applied before the spring break—before the new weeds germinate.

Repeat applications of glyphosate or paraquat in orchards have allowed tolerant species to escape and multiply. It is now the perfect time to re-introduce a residual herbicide into your integrated weed control program.

Annual ryegrass resistance to glyphosate herbicide has been documented in four NSW orchards and one in SA.

Pre-emergent herbicides are a useful tool for combating weeds and depending on the application rate, can control weeds for up to six months.

Two residual herbicides, Sinbar and Zoliar, have been enjoying renewed popularity keeping orchards cleaner for longer. Residual herbicides cost more up front but can replace up to six applications of knockdown herbicides. This means an overall saving in labour and herbicide costs. Residual herbicides work best being applied to bare…

SST Australia has developed Kondemn, a new technology that provides most of the adjuvant needs for knockdown sprays and enables simple efficient application and mixing.

Repeat applications of glyphosate or paraquat in orchards have allowed tolerant species to escape and multiply. It is now the perfect time to re-introduce a residual herbicide into your integrated weed control program.