This publication details how increasing competition in grain crops can suppress in-crop weeds by narrowing row spacing, increasing crop density and/or the use of more competitive crop species and cultivars.

Key points

• Herbicides are a useful tool to control weeds in grain crops, but dependence on agricultural chemicals leads to herbicide-resistant weeds.
• Field trials in the northern grain growing regions of NSW and Queensland show crop competition can be used to successfully manage weeds in sorghum, faba beans, mungbeans and chickpeas.
• Growing these crops with narrow row spacing and/or increased crop density can reduce in-crop growth and seed production of weeds (awnless barnyard grass, feathertop Rhodes grass and common sow thistle).

Booklet contents

This booklet discusses sorghum, mungbeans, chickpeas, and faba beans.

Topics covered include:

• row spacing effect
• density effect
• suppression of awnless barnyard grass in sorghum and mungbeans
• suppression of feathertop Rhodes grass in sorghum and mungbeans
• suppression of common sow thistle in chickpeas and faba beans
• key findings
• considerations for growing a competitive crop
• references
• resources.

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