Post-Sowing Weed Control Technique Can Affect Woody Seedling Numbers, With Early Hand-Weeding Potentially More Beneficial Than Early Spraying

Direct seeding is increasingly being used as a cost-effective revegetation technique. Successful outcomes from direct seeding rely on effective weed control, particularly during the vulnerable seedling establishment phase. Post-sowing weed control options are constrained by the need to protect seedlings from damage and few studies have compared the effectiveness of different weed control techniques. We evaluated the effect of preliminary hand weeding (with subsequent spraying), spraying monthly or spraying quarterly with glyphosate, on woody seedling emergence, survival and growth in trials sown either in spring or autumn at a riparian site in Victoria, southeastern Australia. Seedling numbers were recorded monthly for 6 months and at 12 months after sowing, with seedling survival and heights assessed at 12 months. Total seedling numbers were higher in subplots initially hand weeded than in subplots sprayed on either a monthly or quarterly basis, regardless of when direct seeding occurred, but weed control treatment had no effect on seedling survival. These results indicate that post-sowing spraying limited rates of seedling emergence, either directly or indirectly. For direct seeding, hand weeding in the first few months after sowing may maximise rates of woody seedling emergence, while spraying with glyphosate may inhibit seedling emergence.