In northern Queensland, the addition of 2,4,5‐T butyl ester was found to be unnecessary to maintain the control ofEchinochloa colona(L.) Link andCyperus IriaL. In dry seeded rice when propanil rates were reduced below the registered rate of 4 kg a.i. ha−1. Adequate weed control was obtained with 1.3 kg a.i. ha−1propanil alone. No adverse effects on rice yield were found with any of the propanil × 2,4,5‐T treatments. Low rates of propanil, 1.3 and 0.72 kg a.i. ha−1, compared favourably with pre‐emergence treatments of thiobencarb, butachlor, oxyfluorfen and pretilachlor (plus a safener) when weed yields were low. Where water management was poor andIschaemum rugosumSalisb. was the dominant weed, oxyfluorfen applied pre‐emergence at 0.96 kg a.i. ha−1produced a higher rice and a lower weed yield than the low rates of propanil. In three of the five experiments, weed growth was insufficient to depress rice yields significantly.