Indian hedge mustard

Sisymbrium orientale

Indian hedge mustard is found in the cropping areas of Western Australia, northern and western New South Wales and southern Queensland. Its seeds are included in the ‘small foreign seeds’ fraction of allowable grain contaminants.

Description

Indian hedge mustard grows from a rosette of pointed leaves to a branched plant with a coarse fibrous stem up to one metre tall.

The leaves that form the rosette are deeply lobed. The upper leaves are alternate and spear-shaped.

Control

Good autumn rain encourages early germination. If the Indian hedge mustard has emerged before sowing, a knockdown herbicide will normally be sufficient to achieve control.

If the break comes late, post-emergent herbicides may be required. Older chemistry will probably still be effective against Indian hedge mustard itself, but newer products like Velocity and Precept will provide better coverage.

Related Pests

Capeweed

Arctotheca calendula

Capeweed is widespread throughout the southern cropping regions. Very little rain is needed to germinate capeweed seeds, so plants can emerge following ‘false breaks’ in early autumn and grow large before crops are sown.

Turnip weed

Rapistrum rugosum

Turnip weed can compete particularly strongly with pulse crops, but will also substantially reduce wheat yields if it is not controlled. Better adapted to hot, dry conditions than most other brassica weeds, turnip weed is widespread in New South Wales and Queensland with the potential to become more common in all cropping areas.

Wireweed

Polygonum aviculare

Wireweed (Polygonum aviculare) is a widespread annual with wiry, trailing stems that form mats up to 1 m in width. Wireweed (or wire weed) prefers to germinate in wet soils so it is problematic in winter and in spring sown crops as it can be very competitive and smother crops. Once larger than a seedling, is difficult to control, with selective herbicides in crops.