The five year $1million project is a joint effort between scientists at I & I NSW Wagga, the University of Western Australia, other state agencies and is supported by the Grains Research & Development Corporation.

Dr Hanwen Wu from Industry & Investment NSW’s Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute is leading the NSW research component.

“Weeds cause major physical and financial damage to crops across our country, they reduce productivity and are a real pest for all farmers,” Dr Wu said.

“This project involves gaining a better understating of weeds and how they spread so quickly and using this information to minimise their impact.

“Specifically, we are working to further develop and improve the Weed Seed Wizard, a weed seedbank management tool that was developed in the Weed Coopertative Research Centre (CRC).

“Weed Seed Wizard is a very practical tool for agronomists and growers to improve weed management and increase productivity in their paddocks.”

The project consists of two phases including improving the ability of the Wizard to predict within-season germination patterns, across-season weed population dynamics and control options in Australian paddocks.

Phase Two includes adopting the Weed Seed Wizard as a weed management tool in farming across Australia.

“This important research has the potential to increase productivity and benefit farmers, industry and the environment across Australia,” Dr Wu said.

“Eventually we would like everybody to work together and use this information tool, so growers, researchers and consultants can all benefit."