Investigating the harvest weed seed control tools chaff lining and chaff tramlining (chaff deck) in the Esperance area

Grower case studies on harvest weed seed control from the Esperance Port Zone

An initiative of the Esperance Port Zone Regional Cropping Solutions Network Prepared by Nick McKenna and Peter Newman, Planfarm

Australian grain growers are the world leaders in harvest weed seed control (HWSC), and it could be argued that they are the world leaders in the management of herbicide resistant weeds. There are now six different HWSC tools available to farmers, and all were ultimately invented by Australian farmers.

The two tools reported on in this book, chaff lining, and chaff tramlining, are no exception. The growers have developed these tools, commercial products have evolved, and now the research must catch up.

Currently there is almost no research into the efficacy of these tools and hence the growers of the Esperance GRDC RCSN requested these case studies so that we can learn more about these tools.

I can’t see any real negatives to the chaff decks really. I don’t think it’s the ultimate way and burning probably removes more of the actual seeds themselves, but it’s a good easy way, you are doing something, and I am happy to go with it.

- E Marshman