Crop preparation ahead of harvest and optimum harvester set-up for HWSC

Got a question or topic you're interested in? Send us a text!In this episode, we talk about harvest preparedness. We hear from two of WeedSmart’s extension agronomists.WeedSmart southern extension agronomist, Chris Davey, discusses the different ways growers can get the crop dry enough to successfully put it through a harvester without any blockages, such as windrowing, desiccation and crop topping. WeedSmart western extension agronomist, Peter Newman, talks about optimum harvester set-up to ensure weed seeds go into the chaff cart, chaff deck or weed seed impact mill.NEWS and LINKSWebinar recording: The economics of weeds — what they cost and the benefits of managing them effectivelyWe don’t often take the time to calculate what yield reduction weeds are actually responsible for, or what a well-planned rotation for weed management can make a farming business. In our latest webinar, we discussed the economic benefits of implementing an integrated weed management approach on your farm. Upcoming webinar: Biological control of grains weeds – development of novel tools and approaches for integrationDiscover the pioneering work of CSIRO researchers Dr Ben Gooden and Dr Michelle Rafter on using biocontrol agents to control crop weeds. They will discuss their work conducting exploratory surveys of biocontrol agents and host-testing with pathogens and insects. Articles1.    Windrowing barley plus HWSC in the high rainfall zone: Tim Williams (Conmurra, SA) uses the barley phase to really drive down their weed seed bank. Tim says they windrow the barley as early as possible, cutting it low to the ground. This minimises weed seed shedding, particularly in ryegrass, so they can capture the seed and process it through the impact mills at harvest.2.    Never miss an opportunity to tackle weeds: Lance Turner says herbicide resistance, particularly glyphosate resistance, was going to take them out of cropping if they didn’t start using harvest weed seed control. Twenty-five years on and the Turners still have the newer chemistries ‘up their sleeve’.3.    Mills impact the weed seed bank: Bruce McLean farms at Bool Lagoon in South Australia’s high rainfall zone. He says that the limited harvest hours in the region were a major deterrent when it came to implementing harvest weed seed control, but they have found that the impact mill doesn’t slow them down too much, and they have the option to bypass it if necessary.4.    Can I take an integrated approach to summer fallow management? Glenn Shepherd, agronomist and director of IMAG Consulting in Dubbo, NSW, says growers have opportunities to take an integrated approach to fallow management using the WeedSmart Big 6 as a checklist. Read Glenn's summer fallow management tips.WeedSmart Week 2026 is heading to Griffith, NSW, August 18-19! Join us for an engaging week of peer-to-peer discussion and learning about sustainable weed management and herbicide stewardship. The event will include a forum day, farm tours, machinery expo, plus plenty of food and fun! Tickets are on sale now!Learn more about WeedSmart and the Big 6 framework for proven weed management practices by visiting our website. Don't forget to follow us on our socials:Twitter/XBlueskyFacebookLinkedInInstagramKeen for a monthly update?  Subscribe here!Got a question or topic you are interested to hear about?  Send us an: [email protected] up our other WeedSmart podcasts & audio: #RegionalUpdates & #BeyondResistance podcasts for great stories from across the Australian growing regions.  #Paddocktalk fortnightly weed management news & updates for you.#drivesafe #farmsafe