New approaches to weed management extension - Southern Australia

Summary

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), in partnership with Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), is developing a weed research and development program across southern Australia. Both organisations are concerned that current extension and information delivery approaches are not leading to optimal advances in weed management practice. 
This project seeks to meet the following objectives: 
1. From extension workers across southern Australia, identify their views on the critical failure and success factors in adoption of best practice weed management by producers. 
2. Determine the strengths, weaknesses and effectiveness of current weed extension processes, activities and information presentation in relation to adoption barriers and success factors 
3. Devise improved approaches for the development and delivery of extension processes, activities, tools and information to stimulate action by graziers The project links with a complementary social research project managed by the Institute for Rural Futures at the University of New England (IRF) which aims to identify and characterise the barriers to adoption of best weed management practices among graziers and the key motivators for change.