The Weed Management Initiative

The Charles Sturt University Weed Management Initiative (WMI) is part of the nationally coordinated, GRDC-funded research, development, and extension program designed to deliver leading-practice weed management solutions to Australian grain growers. Gulbali is a proud node partner, contributing deep expertise across weed biology, herbicide resistance, integrated weed management, and capacity building.

The challenge

Weeds remain one of the most significant and costly threats to Australian grain production. Herbicide resistance is evolving rapidly, outpacing the ability of many growers to respond effectively with existing tools and knowledge. Key problem species including annual ryegrass, sowthistle, and fleabane are adapting to production environments and climate in ways that demand both a deeper scientific understanding and fresh, practical management approaches. Without coordinated national investment spanning the full continuum — from the evolutionary and molecular drivers of resistance through to on-ground mitigation strategies — the long-term productivity and profitability of Australian grain farming is at risk.

Project Title : CSU Weed Management Initiative

Funding : $3.6 M Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) (2025-2030)

Our response

Our research will contribute to the WMI through activities in the three research programs and the delivering regionally relevant research across the full weed management continuum.

We will investigate how weed populations — particularly annual ryegrass and sowthistle— are shifting and adapting across production regions, examining the evolutionary dynamics of weed adaptation and characterising the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of herbicide resistance driving these changes. Underpinning this work is the stewardship of the national weed seed library — a unique 25-year collection of weed biotypes from across Australia that serves as a vital genetic resource for resistance research across the entire WMI network.

Building on this foundation, our researchers will evaluate a range of practical, integrated weed mitigation strategies for growers, including double knock control options, the role of competitive crop cultivars in suppressing resistant weed populations, summer fallow weed management tactics, and long-term crop rotation systems. We will also contribute to the national evaluation of emerging pre-commercial weed control technologies under real production conditions, and provide curated weed biology and ecology data to support national modelling activities.

Alongside this research, the Gulbali Institute is committed to building the next generation of weed scientists — with new postdoctoral appointments and a cluster of PhD scholarships linked to national node partners and international collaborators at the University of Copenhagen and Texas A&M, ensuring long-term research capacity in weed science at CSU and nationally.

The goal

Advance understanding of how key weed species are adapting and developing herbicide resistance across production regions in southern and northern NSW
Provide growers and advisers with evidence-based, practical mitigation strategies that can be implemented within their farming systems
Contribute regionally relevant weed biology and ecology data to support national modelling and resistance management strategies across the WMI network
Safeguard and grow the national weed seed library as a long-term genetic resource for weed science research in Australia
Build the next generation of weed scientists through postdoctoral appointments and PhD scholarships connected to national and international research networks
Strengthen the Gulbali Institute's long-term capacity in weed science, ensuring CSU's ongoing contribution to national weed RD&E