Introduction

A crop may suffer herbicide injury from a number of different causes:

• Improper rate or timing of application
• Cultivar susceptibility 
• Adverse weather or soil conditions
• Herbicide drift.

Symptoms can vary from slight stunting or leaf discolouration to crop death, depending on the type of herbicide, the crop and seasonal conditions.

The effects of herbicide injury may vary, depending on the dose received and crop susceptibility. Herbicide damage may be very obvious such as with scorched leaves, or may be more subtle, such as with poor establishment or delayed maturity.

Herbicide crop injury symptoms can easily be confused with symptoms produced by other causes, such as from frost, disease, nutrient deficiencies or toxicities. Correctly diagnosing the cause of a specific set of symptoms is therefore often difficult.

Symptoms of damage to the crop from herbicides do not always mean there will be a loss in grain yield. Recognition of the symptoms of crop injury allows the cause of the injury to be identified and possibly prevented in future crops. 

Purpose

This guide is designed to assist in the recognition of injury symptoms caused by herbicides in broadacre winter and summer crops, and in turn assist in reducing crop damage from herbicides in the future.

It describes and demonstrates the various types of symptoms that occur, as well as those symptoms caused by each herbicide group. This information will enable better diagnosis of damage following the application of herbicide. The guide provides information regarding differential diagnosis and factors contributing to crop damage, as well as herbicide drift and off-target damage.

How to use

To determine the cause of injury symptoms in crop plants, this guide provides information and pictures of typical signs of damage on a range of winter and summer field crops. 

1. Use the herbicide injury symptoms section to determine the nature of the symptoms on the plant part, or parts affected. Herbicides may affect one or more plant organs simultaneously. 
2. Use the herbicide symptoms and plant processes section to match the symptoms seen on the plant to those of a particular herbicide group. Herbicide injury often displays a distinct pattern. Although effects may vary on different plants, related compounds usually cause plants to show a characteristic group of symptoms. Use the five subsections where herbicides are grouped under common symptoms to recognise those that apply to your situation. 

Any recommendations, suggestions or opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Grains Research and Development Corporation. No person should act on the basis of the contents of this publication without first obtaining specific, independent professional advice. The Grains Research and Development Corporation will not be liable for any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred or arising by reason of any person using
or relying on the information in this publication. The Grains Research and Development Corporation owns the rights to the Ute Guide series.

© GRDC 2015

All work contained in this App is subject of copyright owned by or licensed to the Grains Research and Development Corporation. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of the work may be reproduced in any form or by any process without prior written permission from the Grains Research and Development Corporation. Requests and enquires concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

Manager Publications
Grains Research and Development Corporation
PO Box 5367
Kingston ACT 2604
Australia

Telephone: (02) 6166 4500
Facsimile: (02) 6166 4599
Email: grdc@grdc.com.au

Any requests concerning material that does not originate from the Grains Research and Development Corporation will be forwarded to the appropriate copyright owner.

- See more at: http://www.grdc.com.au/About-Us/Policies/Legal/Copyright

Photographs for the Herbicide Injury Ute Guide app supplied by:

Tony Cook, NSW DPI; David Pfeiffer; QDAF; Rural Directions; Andrew Storrie, Agronomo; Bill Long, Ag Consulting Co; Warwick Nightingale, Delta Agribusiness; Glenn Shepard, IMAG Consulting; Harm van Rees, Cropfacts; Hanwen Wu, NSW DPI; Rohan Brill, NSW DPI; Peter Boutsalis, Plant Science Consulting; John Churchett, QDAF; John Minogue, Ag and General Consulting; James Miller, Penagcon; Kevin Moore, NSW DPI; Tom de Mattia, Delta Agribusiness; Maurie Street, Grain Orana Alliance; Neville Marra, Syngenta; Penny Heuston, Heuston Agronomy Services; Syngenta; Trevor Klein, Syngenta; Tim McNee, NSW DPI; Chris Preston, Unversity of Adelaide; John Stuchbury, JSA Independent; JJ Noonan, Landmark.

Acknowledgments - Ute Guide hard copy

Material for the Ute Guide app has been drawn from the 2002 GRDC publication, Field Crop Herbicide Injury - The Ute Guide.

Tom Yeatman, Rural Solutions SA; Michael Wurst, Rural Solutions SA; Michael Moerkerk, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria, (VDPI); Todd Andrews, Weeds CRC; NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI); Chris Preston, University of Adelaide; John Moore, Department of Agriculture WA; Peter Lockley, NSW Department of Primary Industries; Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.


References

Hall, L, Beckie, H and Wolf, TM, 1999, How herbicides work — biology to application, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Victoria.

Code of Practice for Farm Chemical Spray Application, Victoria, Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Sharma, MP, 1986, Recognizing Herbicide action and injury, Alberta Environmental Centre, Vegreville, Alberta.

Developed on behalf of GRDC by Seedbed Media and DHM Environmental Software Engineering. 

More information

Further information

 The Ute Guide series:

• Winter cereal nutrition
• Cereal disease
• Lucerne pests and disorders
• Chickpea disorders
• Mungbean and soybean disorders
• Peanut and navy bean disorders

For copies of the above Ute Guides contact: Ground Cover Direct

Free phone: 1800 11 0044

Free fax: 1800 00 9988

email: ground.coverdirect@canprint.com.au

Field guide to faba bean disorders in Australia. 

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