Mobility of herbicides applied to hard surfaces in riparian zones
Michael WilliamsonA and Nigel AinsworthB
A RMIT University, Melbourne, Vic 3000, Australia.
B CRC for Australian Weed Management, Department of Primary Industries, Keith Turnbull Research Institute, PO Box 48, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia.
Abstract
Weed control by herbicide application is an effective strategy in the urban environment, but treatment in urban riparian zones is potentially significant with respect to wetting and run off of herbicides after rainfall events on relevant hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt, drains, channels, and paths. In the literature, the study of herbicide loss from non-agricultural surfaces is only recent, with no such studies recorded as yet in Australia. This short communication outlines a proposed controlled laboratory study to determine the extent to which herbicides are removed from treated surfaces following a rain event, in order to minimise experimental variability frequent in the larger field studies cited. The forthcoming study is made up of the following components: test surfaces, herbicides formulations and their method of application, simulated rainfall, and its collection following runoff. Selection of relevant herbicides for riparian weed control, and laboratory experimental design are discussed.
Plant Protection Quarterly (2003) 18 (2) 82-84.