Abstract
Herbicide resistance management is often understood as a decision for individual land managers, but their decisions have far-reaching impacts for social-ecological systems. Area-wide management can reduce these impacts by supporting many land managers to cooperatively work towards a shared goal of reducing the spread of resistance. The aim of this research is to identify what support is needed for area-wide herbicide resistance management in cropping systems. Data was collected from 84 interviews with growers, public land managers and weed management advisors. Sixty-five interviews were conducted across three cropping regions of eastern Australia—Darling Downs (Queensland), Riverina (New South Wales) and Sunraysia (Victoria)—and 19 interviews were conducted with stakeholders beyond these regions. The majority (51%) of interviewees expressed concern about the spread of herbicide resistance, but only 14% described involvement in area-wide resistance management programs. Area-wide management was mostly reported to involve sharing information among stakeholders, rather than coordination or joint activities. Key barriers to participation were perceived to be the diverse agricultural industries in each region and the costs of participation. Future area-wide management program designs need to build working relationships among diverse stakeholders, clearly define the boundaries of the program and demonstrate the benefits that accrue from participation.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralHerbicide-resistant weeds are becoming more common around the world, affecting which crops are grown, how weeds are managed and farm profitability [1,2]
When interviewees were asked about the most significant issues concerning the management of weeds in their region (Q1 in Supplementary Material), herbicide resistance was most frequently mentioned across all regions (Darling Downs, 12 of 17 interviewees; Riverina, 12 of 30 interviewees; Sunraysia, 11 of interviewees; Other, 8 of interviewees)
Stakeholders were concerned about the mobility of herbicide resistance and the increased costs associated with its management
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralHerbicide-resistant weeds are becoming more common around the world, affecting which crops are grown, how weeds are managed and farm profitability [1,2]. Australia has the most extensive evolution of weed populations with resistance to multiple herbicides across grain producing regions [2]. The consequences of such high rates of herbicide resistance in Australia are reflected in changes to farming practices. More than nine-tenths (94%) of grain growers adopt additional management practices to prevent and manage herbicide resistance [5]. These practices include herbicide rotation, double knockdown (use of a different second treatment to kill any survivors), changing herbicide application rates and methods, cultivation, weed seed control and harvest, and burning, among others
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