When it comes to weeds, timing is everything.
And according to Wendy Gill, it's important for farmers to identify weeds early so they can get a head start on tackling them before they take hold.
Wendy, who is a senior lands services officer - mixed farming with the Central West Local Land Services (LLS), says farmers across the state are busy dealing with weeds after a wet season.
"There has been a lot of activity during the summer, and as we head into autumn, with the milder conditions, there is an increased weed burden, but also an increased potential for weed control," she said.
She said weeds such as heliotrope, paddy melons, summer grass, poa, windmill grass, and especially saffron thistles had been an issue for farmers through the summer.
But heading into autumn, weeds like fleabane, both in fallow and pastures, cat heads, goosefoot, rye grass, and broadleaf weeds like wild radish are starting to cause some headaches.
Wendy said it was a good time for farmers to take stock of the weed situation on their property.
"It's about taking the opportunity to have a look at the weeds and get on top of weeds," she said. "Early identification is really critical."
She said integrated weed control was the best option for farmers, utilising mechanical control and grazing, as well as getting longevity from chemical control.
"You can look at what strategies are most effective for the weeds, not just chemical application," she said. "You can use the whole integrated suite to enable the best weed management to maximise effective control."
She said it was important to use control methods at the correct time, such as using spray at the rosette stage of the weed's development.
Bought-in fodder has also caused some weed spread, with parthenium, knapweed and bedstraw coming in fodder from other states.
Wendy said once farmers had the first autumn fall of rain, it was a good idea to check areas where they fed out. "It's a chance to identify any new weeds," she said.
Farmers can take photos of new weeds and contact their local LLS to have them identified.
And with the change of season, farmers need to keep an eye out for any weeds that might cause toxicity problems in stock, such as nitrate poisoning.
She said as weeds became stressed or were in their later stage of growth, they could build up toxicity in stems which could be harmful to stock who graze on the plant.
Giving the paddock a good check over before moving stock in is crucial, because when stock go onto new feed, while their rumen is adjusting, they might go for the weeds first. "When you let stock into a paddock, sometimes they will ferret around and eat everything you don't want them to," she said.
She said giving the stock a good induction could sidestep those problems, including having good quality hay available in a new paddock or making sure the stock were full before they were moved.
"Be mindful of withholding periods with chemicals and stick to the label requirements," she said. "When the weeds are dying, their toxicity levels can be at their highest."
She said not withholding stock for the correct amount of time would also affect their marketability.
Wendy said farmers could get advice on weeds from their local council weeds officers, commercial agronomist or ag advisors and the LLS. She said the Department of Primary Industries had a helpful WeedWise app for identifying weeds.
