Bindweed

Bindweed is a problem weed in many cropping areas, especially northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. Highly competitive with crops, it has always been hard for herbicides to control once it gets to the 2-leaf stage. Control is now made more difficult by wider crop row spacing (reducing crop competition) and developing resistance to older chemistry.

Description

Bindweed grows in twining stems up to a metre long. Its leaves are arrow-shaped with a prominent mid-vein and edged with small shallow rounded ‘teeth’.

Bindweed flowers are greenish-white and its seed is dull black, triangle and 4–5 mm long.

Control

Crop choice is crucial. With no chemical control options in pulse crops, they should not be sown while bindweed remains a problem.

In cereal crops, both Velocity® and Precept® provide an alternative mode of action with no developed resistance.