Development of a portfolio of alternative weed control strategies for use in plantations

Weed control is critical to productivity and financial viability of Australian forest plantations. A hierarchy of options is required to inform field trials and evidence-based responses to certification and social licence concerns. The response to this risk should include considerations of what alternative methods are available, potentially those already used in other crops. The loss of the benefits of chemicals for plantation establishment could mean the collapse of the viability of the Australian plantation industry as productivity rates could reduce to almost pre-1970's level which can be half of the current levels. This project is designed to identify and potentially pre-test the effectiveness and economics of alternatives to chemicals for tree crop establishment.