Weeds are opportunistic plants that take advantage of bare soil, moisture and nutrients to grow. Weeds can be a problem in vineyards when they compete with vines for soil moisture and nutrients, interrupt vineyard machinery and operations, harbour vine pests and disease, pose a fire risk or cause taints in wines.
To combat the negative attributes of weeds, there are chemical and non-chemical weed control options available. Given the array of weeds found in Australian vineyards, combined with site and seasonal variability, there is no ‘one size fits all’ weed control solution. Many growers use a combination of weed control options to achieve the best results. The life cycle and physiological properties of the different types of weeds determine the most effective management methods.
The following pages provide a range of resources to support weed management in vineyards: