Wizard aims to spell out weed woes

Grains industry advisers on the South Coast and in the Mid West are invited to a workshop to learn more about the weed management tool Weed Seed Wizard, for use with their clients.

The Department of Agriculture and Food WA is holding two free workshops in Esperance and Geraldton during August.

Department senior research officer Sally Peltzer said the Weed Seed Wizard was a powerful decision support tool that could help growers better manage weeds and increase yields.

"The Wizard can be fine-tuned to specific farms using local weather data, soil type and management options," Dr Peltzer said.

"It can also be used to manage a range of weed species, such as wild oats, brome grass, wild radish and annual ryegrass."

The department's two-hour session will help advisers to refine the program to specific client needs.

"The result will provide comprehensive information regarding what decisions growers need to make to manage their weeds more effectively," Dr Peltzer said. Participants are required to bring a PC laptop with Java 7; noting Weed Seed Wizard cannot currently be run on Apple devices.

Weed Seed Wizard was developed by a collaborative team from the department, its interstate counterparts and universities from other States, supported by the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

The workshops will be held at department offices: in Geraldton on Wednesday, August 7, at 8.30 am, followed by a visit to a nearby trial site, and in Esperance, on Wednesday, August 14, at 10 am.

Registration is essential.

Contact Dr Peltzer on 9892 8504 or sally.peltzer@agric.wa.gov .au.