Project details
Status: Current
At a glance
- This project aims to boost productivity for opium poppy growers by developing new strategies to control weed poppies.
- It is important research for an industry that supplies almost half of the world’s licit alkaloid material for the pharmaceuticals industry.
Management of poppy weeds
The management of poppy weed species is a challenge for the industry.
Weeds including Rough Poppy, Long-headed poppy and Corn poppy compete for resources in the field and contaminate harvests.
Due to their close relatedness to opium poppy, control of these weeds represents a significant difficulty for the industry.
Practical outcomes for growers
At the conclusion of this project, the team will provide poppy growers with two recommended strategies to effectively manage weed poppies and reduce the impact on production.
Currently, growers have limited control options for weed poppies. The team want to provide growers with tried and tested methods to give them increased confidence in controlling these weeds.
Testing methods for in-season control
The project will identify effective chemical herbicides for in-season control. Trial sites have been established within commercial opium poppy crops at Sassafras, Deloraine, Hagley and Red Hills.
The team will evaluate currently available herbicides against both opium poppy and weed poppy species under different growth stages and conditions. From this trial, they will be able to provide growers with recommendations about the most effective treatment options.
New methods for out-of-season control
The research will also look at new methods of weed control that can be applied between seasons. A protocol for false seed bed preparation will be a major outcome of this project and will be shared with growers.
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Acknowledgements:
This projec is funded by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Agricultural Development Fund.