Weed Control in Brassicas

Effective weed management is an essential requirement for reliably achieving high quality brassica produce. By taking a long term view of weed management and adopting an integrated weed management strategy, you can consistently control the weeds that compete with brassica crops.

In-crop weed management requires a long term integrated approach. Weed management commences prior to planting of the crop and does not stop until the crop has been harvested and residual produce/weeds are destroyed or cultivated.

Conducting all activities at the right time is the key to successful integrated weed control. Being too late reduces effectiveness and can lead to poor weed control.

This 6-page brochure is a guide to integrated weed management in Australian broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprout crops. It provides an overview of weed management methods in these crops based on research conducted for Horticulture Australia Limited.

Key Points :

The first step in effective weed management is to plan your rotations. Adoption of a long term view of how you intend to combat weeds includes considering:

• Reduce the seed bank prior to planting
• Transplant into weed free beds
• Apply appropriate pre-emergence herbicides before and/or immediately post transplanting
• Herbicides MUST be used correctly
• Inter-row cultivate OR use knockdown herbicide through protected sprayers to control weeds later in the crop as required
• Post-harvest clean up is essential

The key to getting the most from an integrated weed management strategy is to understand the weeds which will be a problem in your crop. To most growers this will come from experience in individual blocks and from observation of the major weeds present in your district.

See Also :

Clean Your Spray Tank

Spray Application Basics

Acknowledgements :

This factsheet has been facilitated by Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) in partnership with AUSVEG through the National Vegetable Research and Development Levy.

The Australian Government provides matched funding for all HAL's R&D activities.