RIVERLAND grain growers are set to benefit from a new initiative aiming to provide sustainable and effective weed management strategies across the state. 
A new $47m weed management investment (WMI) led by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has been announced by GRDC Chair and grain grower Sharon Starick. 
Developed to support grain growers facing ongoing challenges of the farming industry, the 5.5-year initiative will unite Australia’s leading researchers, communications and extension specialists together to work on innovative, cutting-edge weed management research, development and extension (RD&E).
Mrs Starick said the WMI was a “critical investment that GRDC was making on behalf of Australian grain growers and built on three decades of weed RD&E”.
“Conservatively, weeds impose an annual cost on growers of approximately $4.1bn in lost production and control measures. This equates to around $196 per hectare,” she said.
“This financial burden is exacerbated by the rapid evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds, limited availability of new chemical control options, and shifting climatic conditions affecting weed distribution and frequency.”
The GRDC is investing $25m to create regional hubs (nodes) alongside strategic partnerships, with an additional $22m in contributions from the University of Adelaide and other high-level education providers. 
Within the WMI, support will also be provided for more than 20 weed research scientists and 12 new PhD student scholarships in order to build critical capacity in the field. 
“Investment in innovative, cutting-edge, integrated weed RD&E is crucial for the sustainability and profitability of Australian grain growers. This is why GRDC has invested $25m on behalf of growers and partnered with some of the best research organisations in the country,” Ms Starick said. 
“Not only will this initiative help reduce the economic impact of weeds on our farming systems, it will also foster a collaborative research environment capable of responding swiftly to emerging challenges.”
Five programs will be delivered through the WMI: 

• Evolutionary dynamics of weed adaptation and herbicide resistance.&n