• Charles Sturt University named as one of four nodes for the GRDC’s Weed Management Initiative
• The Weed Science team at Charles Sturt will focus on developing novel weed control technologies along with a broad range of weed control challenges in collaboration with the other three node members of the initiative
• There will be three PhD scholarships in Weed Science at Charles Sturt linked with the initiative

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has launched its $47 million weed management initiative, naming Charles Sturt University as one of four universities to play a major role in its development.

Researchers from Charles Sturt’s Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment will comprise a team to run one of four regional nodes that will be based at the University in Wagga Wagga.

The locations of the other nodes will be at the University of Queensland, University of Adelaide and University of Western Australia.

The Weed Management Initiative (WMI) commenced in January 2025 and will run until June 2030 to support Australian grain growers to manage one of the most persistent and costly challenges facing farming business.

Gulbali Institute Professor of Plant Science and Horticulture Michael Walsh is leading the research team from Charles Sturt, which also includes Dr John Broster, Dr Asad Asaduzzaman, Dr Remy Dehaan, Dr Shawn McGrath and Dr Leslie Weston.

“The WMI is an exciting opportunity for the Weed Science team at Charles Sturt and for the University in general,” Professor Walsh said.

“This project is an ongoing initiative that enables the establishment of a significant and ongoing weed research program.”

Professor Walsh said the WMI will concentrate on developing tools aimed at reducing the evolution and impact of herbicide resistance and strategies that prevent or mitigate herbicide resistant weeds.

The WMI will focus on research in three key areas:

• Evolutionary Dynamics of Weed Adaptation and Herbicide Resistance
• Biochemical, Molecular and Genetic Basis of Novel Herbicide Resistance
• Mitigation and Management of Weeds Using Novel and Integrated Approaches

Research conducted at Charles Sturt will focus mostly on the development of novel weed control technologies.

Charles Sturt has allocated three PhD students to this project, as part of the new scholarships created by the initiative. It is open to domestic students and any interested candidates are invited to submit an expression of interest by end of May 2025.