How Aussie farmers are turning the tide on $4.43 billion weed problem
From council reserves to backyard gardens, weeds have received a lot of attention in recent years due to their ability to spread rapidly, strangle native plants and harm wildlife. Now, grain and cotton growers across the country are fighting back — and winning.
According to a new report released by the CSIRO on Monday night, on average, weeds cost grain producers $4.3 billion a year — a seven per cent increase in costs compared to 10 years ago — but they are reaping the rewards of their investment.
Grain producers drastically reduce impact of weeds on crop yield
By focusing on 'smarter, long-term management strategies', farmers have been able to drastically reduce the impact of weeds on crop yield from 2.8 million tonnes in 2016 to 1.2 million tonnes in 2025.
Their efforts, including harvest weed seed control, crop rotation and using new technologies such as camera-guided herbicide spraying, have led to higher production and therefore a higher income.
'Weed control remains one of the biggest annual costs for growers, but the investment is paying off,' said Dr Rick Llewellyn, a CSIRO research scientist who co-authored the report led by Jackie Ouzman.
'By staying ahead of the weed seed bank, resistance and adopting smarter, more targeted practices, growers are protecting long-term profitability and enabling flexibility in their system.'
Improved summer fallow weed control — the removal of weeds that grow when a field is intentionally left uncultivated between cropping seasons — has helped tremendously, CSIRO reports. The method conserves moisture in the soil to better support crops in the drier seasons, and is a 'critical part of climate adaption', Dr Llewellyn said.
'With increasingly variable rainfall and larger cropping programs, growers need to sow crops when conditions are right without delays for weed control,' he said.
🌸 Warning not to touch invasive weed 'growing everywhere' in Aussie suburb
🚙 Alert issued to residents, travellers after dangerous find on side of roads
🌱 Common roadside plant wreaking havoc in Australia: 'Shocking way to die'
Cotton industry forks out $145 million annually on weeds
The cotton industry is also forking out $145 million annually on weeds, with growers shown to invest heavily in keeping densities exceptionally low, the study, which was funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), states.
While new threats continue to emerge locally, across the country the most costly weeds remain the same: ryegrass, brome grass, sow thistle, wild radish and wild oats. The costliest weeds that emerge between cropping seasons are melons, heliotrope and fleabane.
Dr Llewellyn said while Aussie farmers are leading the way for weed management globally, there needs to be continued research into how to 'stay ahead' while also reducing the costs for both industries.
'The only reason we're not seeing widespread yield losses from weeds today is because of years of sustained research and grower innovation,' he said.
'This is a quiet success story, but it's a battle where you can't pause — the weed challenge keeps evolving and demanding new solutions.'
To do so, the GRDC is reinvesting in a five-year, $47 million Weed Management Initiative, which will support more than 20 weed research scientists, as well as 12 new PhD student scholarships.
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