Grain Producers Australia has been issued with two new permits by the Agricultural Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority, to support on-farm productivity gains by giving Australian grain producers more targeted summer weed control options.
One permit will provide a fallow management option which will give growers greater flexibility to control emerging summer grass weeds, following summer rainfall, without restricting crop planting options.
Currently, the majority of available summer grass control options are limited, due to either resistance and tolerance issues such as glyphosate and Windmill grass and Feathertop Rhodes grass, or restrictive plant-back periods. PER91513 is in force from 24 January 2022 to 31 January 2025.
GPA has also been issued with another APVMA permit to support the use of advanced optical spray application technologies, to help grain producers reduce their summer weed management costs.
This permit allows a range of herbicides to be used for summer weed control using optical camera spraying technology systems such as Weedseeker, WEEDIt, John Deere See & Spray and Bilberry.
It also allows other emerging green on brown optical spray systems, to enhance weed management in fallow situations. PER 90223 is in force from 1 December 2021 to 31 December 2026.
GPA’s work representing Australian grain producers also includes identifying opportunities to manage industry permits, issued under the APVMA’s emergency and minor use program.
These permits support growers to better-manage pests, weeds and crop diseases to improve farm productivity and agronomic performance. They also play an important role in supporting industry sustainability practices and broader work to maintain the environment and market access.
GPA Chair, Barry Large, said this program was part of GPA’s work collaborating across industry to identify needs and deliver practical outcomes that make a genuine difference for grain producers.
This work includes GPA’s on-farm pilot program in NSW that’s aiming to improve spray drift management practices through an APVMA approved pilot permit which allows the use of specific pesticide products to growers, when working with the Spray Drift Management Tool.
ENDS