Communication and Extension - Weed Management Initiative

The proposed Weed Management Initiative (WMI) will be a federated model with nodes in each GRDC region, ensuring the delivery of leading practice weed management to grain growers, nationally.

Across the nodes, five programs will be delivered that span the continuum of herbicide resistance from evolutionary dynamics to on the ground mitigation strategies, communications and extension along with capacity building and succession planning. The WMI involves strategic partnerships with key institutions to deliver co-investment and commitment to weed science RD&E, ensuring the long-term ongoing delivery of weed management strategies to Australian grain growers.

The WMI will deliver five programs:

• Program 1. Evolutionary Dynamics of Weed Adaptation and Herbicide Resistance.

• Program 2. Biochemical, Molecular and Genetic Basis of Novel Herbicide Resistance.

• Program 3. Mitigation and Management of Weeds Using Novel and Integrated Approaches.

• Program 4. Capacity, Expertise and Collaborative uplift.

• Program 5. Communication, Extension and Adoption of Weed Research Outputs.

The WMI will foster a collaborative, well-resourced, and interconnected research community, ensuring cohesion in national efforts across research, development, and extension. The federated structure, with nodes in each GRDC region (two in the Northern region) will facilitate both national strategies and responsive regional outputs.

The WMI will be underpinned by a strategic communication, extension and adoption program ensuring a strong focus on delivery of outputs and information generated being extended to growers with clear demonstration to adoption. This program will serve as the principal facilitator for communication, extension, and adoption for the WMI and the GRDC’s weed Research, Development, and Extension (RD&E) portfolio.

To ensure the optimal adoption of WMI outputs, a strategic program of social science-based communications and extension activities will underpin the WMI. This program will incorporate social science methodologies and drive practice change, emphasizing tangible, measurable outputs and communication expectations.

The Program will link closely with the nodes, the GRDC weeds portfolio and other D&E initiatives that incorporate social and include regional agronomists and staff to facilitate the adoption of effective weed management strategies on the ground. It will collaborate with the Australian Analytics for the Grains Industry (AAGI) to develop and implement a framework for measuring the impact and adoption of its communication and extension activities.

The WMI's communications, extension, and adoption program will ensure the prompt delivery of outputs to growers and advisers. Emphasising regional extension and practical demonstration of developed research will ensure that growers have timely access to cutting-edge information and best practices for addressing their weed management challenges.