pdf - Publications

WEED
SOLUTIONS
JULY 2011
Weed Solutions Issue No. 1.
Winter 2011 (11/078)
ISSN 1322-5227
Weeds Solutions is an information magazine for the RIRDC-managed National Weeds
and Productivity Research Program. It is distributed by direct mail to subscribers
from the research community, industry, government, as well as farmers, libraries and
consultants. It is also available for free download from the RIRDC website at
https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/11-078.
Editing and design by Cox Inall Communications, Level 2, 44 Mountain Street, Ultimo,
NSW, 2007.
The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist
public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable
regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without
taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable
care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and
correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any
information in this publication.
The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development
Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent
permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly
from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in
reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on
the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors.
The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication.
This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright
Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged.
Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the
RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165.
Published by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
July 2011
PO Box 4776
Kingston ACT 2604
Cover image: Dragi Markovic & the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities (DSEWPaC)
2
FOREWORD
Weeds create many costly
challenges for Australia’s
agricultural and forest industries
and have a significant impact on
the natural environment. These
challenges require us to continue
to improve our knowledge of
weeds and to adopt practices
that prevent, mitigate or adapt to
invasive weeds.
Research plays a valuable role in
developing the information, tools,
management options and resources that
will enable Australia to better manage
invasive weeds. Increased knowledge
will help to reduce the impact of weeds
on farm and forestry productivity, and on
biodiversity.
The National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program plays a valuable
role in developing the information and
resources that will enable Australia to
better manage invasive weeds. The
program is managed by the Rural
Industries Research and Development
Corporation (RIRDC).
Thirty nine projects have been
completed under the first stage of the
research program, managed by the
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry, and RIRDC is publishing
the project reports. Fifty new projects
under the program’s second stage are
also underway, with funding of up to
$12.4 million provided by the Australian
Government for the first two years
(2010–11 and 2011–12).
These new research projects include
the development of technology to kill
weeds with microwaves; crush weed
seeds such as annual ryegrass during
grain harvest; and detect weeds from
un-manned aerial vehicles fitted
with hyperspectral remote sensing
cameras. Extensive testing both here
and overseas is identifying potential
biological control agents. Several
projects explore the possible impact
of climate change on the distribution
of weeds, and the attitude of land
managers to weed control.
The National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program is doing great
work to find innovative responses to
Australia’s diverse weed problem.
I commend the program and the work
it will achieve into the future.
The Hon. Dr Mike Kelly AM MP
Parliamentary Secretary for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
3
CONTENTS
Foreword ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3
Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Hon. Mike Kelly
Welcome ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5
RIRDC Weeds Advisory Committee Chairman Hon. John Kerin AM
Weed solutions for Australia ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6-7
A snapshot of the weeds research projects being funded by RIRDC and the priorities
of the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program
Image: Georgia Curry & DSEWPaC
Understanding weeds and preventing their spread ��������������������������������������������� 8-9
Knowledge is power and will help land managers tackle potential weed issues as well
as existing ones
Image: Andrew Tatnell & DSEWPaC
Finding new biological controls�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10-11
Under strict protocols, biological control is a cost effective way of managing weeds,
particularly in inaccessible areas
Image: Michael Marriott & DSEWPaC
Thinking outside the weeds square �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 12-13
Innovative technology to provide new tools for weed managers
Image: Andrew Tatnell & DSEWPaC
Smarter herbicide use Integrated Weed Management practices are vital to ensuring we can continue to
use important chemicals
14-15
Image: Dragi Markovic& DSEWPaC
Better weeds policies 16
Understanding the knowledge, attitudes and abilities of land managers will ensure
policies that encourage action
Image: Dragi Markovic & DSEWPaC
Weeds on Indigenous lands 17
Indigenous land managers are responsible for more than 12 per cent of Australia’s
land mass
Image: Dragi Markovic & DSEWPaC
Phase 1 weeds research Research highlights from Phase 1 of the National Weeds and Productivity Research
Program managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Image: Birchip Cropping Group
4
18-23
WELCOME
Weeds are one of the major threats
to Australia’s primary production
and to the natural environment.
They compete with pasture and
crops for natural resources, can
poison livestock, contaminate
produce, and often require costly
chemicals to be removed. Weeds
also out-compete native plants
and degrade the habitats of native
animals.
While there are many possible
definitions, put simply a weed is “a
plant that requires some form of action
to reduce its harmful effects on the
economy, the environment, human health
and amenity”1.
The Rural Industries Research and
Development Corporation (RIRDC) is
leading the search for innovative and
effective solutions to Australia’s weed
problems, by managing the Australian
Government’s National Weeds and
Productivity Research Program.
RIRDC’s vision for the Program is “an
Australia with the knowledge, resources
and technology to successfully prevent,
mitigate or adapt to weeds in our
agricultural systems, ecosystems and
landscapes”.
The Program is investing in projects that
will provide additional understanding
and tools for land managers to minimise
the cost of weed control and restrict
the spread of weeds – both new and
existing.
A priority for RIRDC is to establish
collaborative relationships with other
agencies to improve the long-term
nature of weeds R&D activities for the
benefit of productive land managers and
the environment.
Hon. John Kerin AM
Chairman
RIRDC Weeds Advisory Committee
The Program is investing in projects that
will provide additional understanding
and tools for land managers to minimise
the cost of weed control and restrict the
spread of weeds – both new and existing.
1 The Australian Weeds Strategy – A national strategy for weed management in Australia, 2007,
Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council
5
weed solutions
for australia
As manager of the Australia Government’s
National Weeds and Productivity Research
Program, the Rural Industries Research and
Development Corporation (RIRDC) is leading the
search for innovative and effective weed solutions.
Weeds have a major impact on the national economy,
costing farmers more than $4 billion annually in lost
production and control measures.
And the damage caused to Australia’s natural
environment by weeds is also immense.
Under Phase 2 of the Program, RIRDC is investing
around $12.4 million in 50 weeds research projects. The
projects began in March 2011 and run until May 2012.
The new projects will be conducted by some of
Australia’s leading research institutions and government
agencies, and will provide a better understanding of
weeds, as well as enhanced tools and techniques to
reduce their impact on farm productivity and biodiversity.
The projects address weed problems in all States and
Territories, with a view to preparing for future incursions,
developing better policies to tackle to weed populations,
and improving the public’s knowledge of weed species
and best-practice management techniques.
The research will also address a number of Weeds of
National Significance; assist the cropping and pastoral
industries with problems like herbicide resistance and
seed persistence; and promote new weed treatment
technologies, new biological controls and remote sensing
technologies.
More information on the projects being funded is
available on the RIRDC website, at
www.rirdc.gov.au/weeds
6
The University of Western Australia
will continue the development of
the Harrington Seed Destructor, a
new mechanical at-harvest weed
seed management system.
Image: Grains Research and
Development Corporation (GRDC)
Researchers will investigate
weed invasion and management
on Indigenous-owned lands in
northern and central Australia
to identify ways to improve the
capacity of Indigenous owners to
address weed issues.
Rice weed control research
being conducted at sites across
Australia, including Mackay, Qld,
will focus on new practices that
assist production of aerobic rice
crops with maximum potential
economic yield.
Image: Kerry Trapnell & the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities
Image: John Baker & the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities
Over 80 per cent of coastline
habitats in NSW are invaded
by bitou bush. The CSIRO is
examining the cause of bitou bush
Sudden Death Syndrome, which
has been observed to rapidly kill
large patches of the weed.
Image: Hillary Cherry & the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities
The University of Adelaide will
attempt to define the extent of
paraquat resistant annual ryegrass
in pasture seed production fields.
Image: Andrew Storrie, Agronomo
Researchers will consider how
stakeholders can better work
together to improve their collective
response to Victoria’s serrated
tussock problem.
Image: John Baker & the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water,
Population and Communities
Sea spurge is the main weed
of Tasmania’s coastal dune
environments. The CSIRO will
assess two fungi at its laboratory
in France to determine if they are
sufficiently specific and virulent
to be investigated further as
biological control agents.
Image: South Gippsland LandCare Group
7
Gamba Grass, near Berrimah, NT. Image: Colin G Wilson DSEWPaC
8
Climate changes
weed incursion
front line
Changing weather patterns could
dramatically alter where weeds
can thrive, posing a biosecurity
challenge to land managers at
the front line of the fight to stop
new species taking hold.
Having obtained a clearer picture
of future weeds threats, the project
will then develop preventative
management strategies to reduce the
impact.
The development of predictive
models to determine future weed
threats will be essential for early
intervention and to enable adaptation
measures to be put in place.
Similarly, in eastern Australia,
Dr Rieks van Klinken of CSIRO
Ecosystem Sciences will be
assessing how climate change will
alter weed invasion patterns in the
Murray Darling Basin.
As part of RIRDC’s National Weeds
Program, 14 research projects are
being funded which will improve our
understanding of how weeds grow
and spread, and how they can be
treated to prevent their expansion
into new areas.
The project will predict habitat
suitability and susceptibility across
the entire Basin for key weed threats,
including lippia, parthenium and
Chilean needle grass, and how that
would differ under the various climate
change forecasts.
Dr Pippa Michael, of the University
of Western Australia, is leading one
such project, assessing the current
and future impact of agricultural
weed species within the WA
Wheatbelt based on various climate
change scenarios.
The information obtained from these
research projects will have direct
implications for land use policies,
weed surveillance strategies,
property management systems,
weed control methods and research
extension activities.
As an industry, nurseries and garden
suppliers believe they have to be
environmental stewards and provide the
right information to customers about which
plants to use in particular situations.
To do that, research is essential, and
that’s why we applied for funding through
RIRDC’s National Weeds Program to help
us identify any plants which are likely to become problems.
But it’s a collective issue – customers at one end asking
questions so they can make informed choices and
governments at the other end regulating when necessary.
We all have a role in halting the spread of weeds.
Dr Anthony Kachenko
Environmental and Technical Policy Manager
Nursery and Garden Industry Australia
Understanding
weeds and
preventing
their spread
Understanding Cabomba
ecology and dispersal –
Department of Employment,
Economic Development and
Innovation (Qld)
Climate change and the risks
of weed invasions in the
Murray Darling Basin – CSIRO
Ecosystem Sciences
Climate change impacts on
agricultural weeds in Western
Australia – Curtin University of
Technology
Improving decision–making to
contain the spread of weeds
– CSIRO
Controlling parthenium and
mother of millions in the
Desert Uplands – Desert
Uplands Committee
Expanding the aquatic
herbicide list – Department
of Employment, Economic
Development and Innovation (Qld)
The genetic, reproductive and
demographic factors of the
Sagittaria invasion – CSIRO
Ecosystem Sciences
Containing the spread of
serrated tussock – Roberts
Evaluation Pty Ltd
Identifying the gaps in weed
management in vegetable
crops – Scholefield Robinson
Horticultural Services Pty Ltd
Measuring the impact of the
high biomass grass invasion
– CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences
Counting the cost of coastal
weeds – University of Melbourne
Understanding sudden death
syndrome in weeds – CSIRO
Measuring the impacts of vine
infestations on plant health –
University of Wollongong
Weed risk assessment for
Australia’s nursery and garden
industries – Nursery and Garden
Industry Australia
Weeds web portal – Chris
Auricht & Associates
9
Letting
nature
do the
hard work
Caption: Calligrapha pantherina leaf-beetle larvae, Berrimah, NT. Image: Colin G Wilson & DSEWPaC
Weed control can be
expensive, labour intensive
and time consuming,
which is why researchers
are looking for natural
organisms to do the hard
work instead. Biological
weed controls can include
insects, fungi or disease
pathogens – natural
predators which often keep
a species in check in their
native environment, but
without which weeds can
thrive in new conditions.
New biological controls are tested
against strict quarantine rules to
ensure they only damage the target
weed species and do not have any
detrimental effects on the native
environment.
Seven research projects are being
funded as part of RIRDC’s National
Weeds Program, aimed at identifying
and testing new biological control
methods for some of Australia’s most
devastating weeds.
Biological control offers a way of
reducing the impact of weeds by
using natural enemies such as
insects, fungi and bacteria – often
from the same country from which the
plants were introduced to Australia.
Dr Robin Adair, of the Department of
Primary Industries Victoria, is leading
a major, multi-institutional project
aimed at developing seven new
biological control agents to reduce
the impact of 21 existing priority
weeds, including eight Weeds of
National Significance.
10
The target weeds include gorse,
English broom, Montpellier (cape)
broom, boneseed, bitou bush,
blackberry, bridal creeper, salvinia, and
cat’s claw creeper. Host specificity
testing will be completed for four
of those seven agents which, if
successful, will pave the way for their
release in south eastern Australia.
These controls will offer a costeffective and environmentally friendly
option for inclusion in Integrated
Weed Management strategies,
reducing land managers’ reliance
on herbicides, as well as cutting
energy and chemical inputs costs
in agriculture.
Across the range of RIRDC research
projects, surveys and preliminary
testing are being conducted in
Argentina, eastern Bolivia, western
Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, India
and France. In several other cases,
approval has been granted for the
importation of biological control
agents for further testing in secure
quarantine facilities in Australia.
Finding new
biological
controls
You tend not to notice a new weed until it’s well
established, and then you need a big slab of
research done very quickly to work out how to eradicate or
control it.
Indian prickly acacia
predators – Department
of Employment, Economic
Development and Innovation
(Qld)
Because Australia has different agricultural systems and
a different set of chemical techniques available, you’re
basically starting from scratch.
Testing new treatments for
alligator weed – CSIRO
Ecosystem Sciences
Preventing weeds in the first place is by far the most
cost-effective solution, which means cleaning machinery
between properties and other biosecurity measures are vital.
Branched Broomrape is so far confined to South Australia,
and we’re putting a lot of effort into keeping it that way including investing $250,000 a year on research.
Philip Warren
Manager, Branched Broomrape Unit
Biosecurity SA
Controlling Crofton weed on
Lord Howe Island – CSIRO
Ecosystem Sciences
The prickly question of
Hudson Pear – Department of
Primary Industries (NSW)
Diving deeper into sea
spurge – CSIRO Ecosystem
Sciences
Biological controls for
South Eastern Australia’s
worst weeds – Department of
Primary Industries (Vic)
Can fungus control
giant Parramatta grass?
– Department of Primary
Industries (NSW)
Paterson’s Curse as a model
to measure the impact of
climate change on biocontrols
– Charles Sturt University
11
Thinking outside the
weeds square
The prototype system, which is based on a modified microwave oven, using a horn antenna to apply microwave energy to weeds:
Paddy Melon plants immediately after microwave treatment and three weeks after treatment.
Images: Graham Brodie, University of Melbourne
The common, kitchen
variety microwave oven
is not a tool normally
associated with weed
control, but it is one of
the many creative options
researchers are considering
as they look for new ways
to counter Australia’s
weed problems.
Dr Graham Brodie, of the University
of Melbourne, is leading a research
project which hopes to develop a
prototype machine which selectively
destroys weeds at a cost comparable
to conventional chemical methods.
The concentration of microwave
energy on weeds could collapse the
structures that carry water through
their stems, ultimately leading to
plant death.
While Dr Brodie’s initial trials will use
a normal kitchen microwave oven, the
research program will also test new
techniques for applying microwave
treatments.
The research team hopes to develop
a prototype carrying an industrial-
12
scale microwave system for use
in field trials, prior to conducting
an economic and environmental
assessment of the procedure.
As part of RIRDC’s National Weeds
Program, a number of such creative
research projects are being fonded.
These vary from the use of a
biodegradable weed mat made of
hemp fibre, which both smothers
weeds to death and adds organic
matter to the soil; to the use
of ‘suppressive plants’ to limit
parthenium weed; to the use of aerial
imagery to detect and monitor weed
populations; and new machinery
which destroys weed seeds at the
point of crop harvest.
Innovative
Thinking
A microwave system to kill
weed seedlings – University
of Melbourne
Using agricultural wastes to
create biodegradable weed
controls – CSIRO Materials
and Science
Using DNA and aerial
imagery to monitor golden
dodder – South Australian
Research and Development
Institute
Evaluating the Harrington
Weed Seed Destructor –
University of Western Australia
CSIRO scientist Dr Menghe Miao with a roll of the biodegradable fibre mat being
assessed for weed control Image: Menghe Miao
Back to basics with Weed Mats
With industry looking for cleaner
and greener alternatives to
conventional weed treatments, the
team at CSIRO is trialling the novel
approach of manufacturing ‘weed
mats’ from agricultural waste.
UVI polythene or polypropylene mats
have been shown to provide effective
weed eradication, but the materials
are non-biodegradable and, in some
cases, also impede rainfall soaking
into the soil and inhibit worm activity
through the soil.
To counter this problem, CSIRO
Principal Research Scientist Dr
Menghe Miao is investigating
the feasibility of the commercial
manufacture of biodegradable weed
mats in Australia.
Biodegradable weed mats are an
environmentally friendly attractive
option. The mats suppress weeds
while the plants are establishing
and then slowly rot away as the
plants take over the role of weed
suppression.
They retain moisture, allow rainfall
to soak into the soil, reduce
evaporation, and encourage
worm activity.
The CSIRO will produce 500
metres of weed mat from hemp,
flax and kenaf fibres using nonwoven technology at its Fibre
Science and Engineering plant
in Geelong, Victoria.
Dr Miao’s work, which is being
supported by industry partners
Richgro and Go Grow, will also
include a survey of regional
distribution of fibrous straw growth,
fibre extraction technology, mat
manufacturing technology, and
mapping how the initiative developed
through this project could create
value in the regions.
Mats will be provided to growers
in the NSW Northern Rivers and
Jandakot/Canning Vale in WA, to
test their suitability to the horticulture,
garden, truffle, landscape, and herb
industries across Australia.
Limiting weed competition
when restoring native
vegetation – Regional
Development Australia-Murray
Molecular control of
reproduction in weeds –
University of Melbourne
Identifying summer weeds
with precision sensing
technology – University of
Southern Queensland
Managing parthenium weed
with suppressive plants –
University of Queensland
Tackling the weed seed
bank with the SeedPersistence Tool Kit –
University of Western Australia
Detecting weeds with
hyperspectral remote
sensing technology –
Charles Sturt University
Weed control in aerobic
rice to increase water-use
efficiency – Agropraisals
Pty Ltd
Managing weeds under dry
seeding and permanent
residue farming – Western
Australian No-Tillage Farmers
Association
13
Herbicide spraying warning sign on the dunes at City Beach, Perth, WA. Image: Dragi Markovic & DSEWPaC
Managing chemical
resistance in your backyard
14
Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide
for weed control in Australia – it offers broad
spectrum weed control, has no soil residue, is
easy to use and is relatively safe to users and the
environment.
Among them is a project led by Dr Christopher Preston,
of the University of Adelaide, which is looking for tools to
control glyphosate-resistant weeds that have emerged,
particularly in non-agricultural areas such as roadsides,
along waterways and railway lines.
But its effectiveness is also its weakness, encouraging
over-reliance that has led to resistance developing in
five weed species at 120 different locations across
Australia.
The build-up of resistance in these areas has the potential
to spread and impact the effectiveness of glyphosate in
other areas, including broad-scale agriculture.
This means researchers have to find smarter ways of using
glyphosate to ensure it can continue to be an effective
weed treatment.
Dr Preston’s team will be educating managers at local
councils, state transport authorities, railways and water
utilities to improve their understanding of the risks of
glyphosate resistance and how to manage its usage properly.
As part of RIRDC’s National Weeds Program, eight
research projects are investigating how chemical
herbicides can be used more efficiently, and how plant
resistance can be minimised.
Preliminary research will also be conducted on glyphosateresistant weeds under controlled conditions to identify
alternative herbicides or herbicide mixtures that may
provide effective management alternatives.
Smarter
herbicide
use
New tools for detecting
herbicide resistance
– University of Western
Australia
Does herbicide
tolerance change with
elevated CO2? – University
of Canberra
Understanding herbicide
resistance in annual
ryegrass – University of
Western Australia
Alternatives to glyphosate
for resistant weeds
– University of Adelaide
Herbicide availability for
new plant industries
Herbicides for small crops
– Rural Industries
Research and Development
Corporation
As a producer of olives, we encounter difficulty in
accessing herbicides we need to control the weeds on
our farm.
Management of paraquat
resistance in pasture
seed – University of
Adelaide
It’s a similar situation for many small industries, such as green
tea, herbs and spices, dates, essential oils, native grass seeds,
and ornamental wildflowers – often the most suitable chemical
for weed control may not be registered for use on their crop.
Unfortunately chemical companies often do not undertake the
trial work for small crops in order to achieve full registration of
their herbicides, which leaves many farmers of these crops in
the position that they may well be using herbicides for which
there is no registration.
New Rural Industries Australia (NRIA) has been
commissioned by RIRDC to address high priority issues
in the minor use of herbicides. This research will be vital in
commencing the process to either achieve full registration of
some chemicals on certain crops, or at least to gain minor use
permits for those crops.
Jim Rowntree
Olive Grower
Coonalpyn, South Australia
Are wheat-selective
pre-emergent herbicides
sustainable in a changing
climate? – University of
Western Australia
Improving adoption
of best practice weed
management strategies
– CSIRO
Alternative approaches
to chemical weed control
measures – New Rural
Industries Australia
The use of weed sensors
for variable rate herbicide
application – Birchip
Cropping Group
15
Caption: Camp for field staff near the Bendora Reservoir, ACT. Image: Andrew Tatnell & DSEWPaC
Working together to control weeds
The actions of every Australian land manager can
dramatically impact how far and wide weeds can
spread, as well as the wider community’s ability to
control weed problems.
But what are the social and economic factors which
motivate land managers to understand weed threats and
to take action to limit their impact?
RIRDC’s National Weeds Program is funding a project
headed by University of Queensland researcher Dr Yvonne
Buckley which will answer the question of how decisions
by individual stakeholders affect weed distribution across
the wider landscape.
Dr Buckley’s work is one of four RIRDC-funded research
projects aimed at delivering better weeds policies and
control programs.
Given that weeds do not respect property boundaries, the
challenge for policy makers is to bring together thousands
of individual land owners, each confronting just a small
part of a weed invasion, in a united and coordinated
approach to a common threat.
Dr Buckley’s research will look at how an individual’s
land management motivations fit in with such wide-scale
ecological protection.
By understanding how individual land managers make
their decisions, Dr Buckley’s team hopes to improve the
adoption of existing control measures.
16
Removing weeds by hand can be hard
physical work, but it’s often the only
method available when working in sensitive
native bushland reserves where chemicals
cannot be used.
You have to love the bush and understand
the value of native bushland to want to do
this work, and it is great to see government
programs take environmental weed threats
seriously.
Our group has 18 volunteer members, most
of whom have a Certificate IV in Conservation
and Land Management. We remove
weeds like coastal tea tree (Leptospermum
laevegatum), Sydney golden wattle (Acacia
longifolia), blackberry (Rubus spp) and
Salvinia infestation in Magela Creek, Kakadu National Park, NT.
Image: Colin G Wilson & DSEWPaC
Asparagus scandens, so that native species
can naturally regenerate.
The support of Local, State and Federal
Government programs helps us to be
consistent and persistent in our approach, and
to re-visit important areas like drinking water
catchments for follow up treatments.
We want to make sure good bushland stays
in good condition by preventing weeds from
encroaching, so educating the public is
also an important part of our activities.
Diane Harwood
Denmark Weed Action Group
Denmark, WA
Better weeds policies
Future proofing our national borders
– Department of Primary Industries (NSW)
Improving regional coordination of weed control
– University of New England
Innovation in weed management strategy
– University of New England
How your decisions affect weed distribution
– University of Queensland
Systematic review of weeds surveys
– ABARES
Collation of information on weeds into the
National Plant Health Status Report
– Plant Health Australia
Weeds on
Indigenous lands
Indigenous land owners are responsible for
more than 12 per cent of Australia’s land mass.
Weeds are a major concwern as they threaten cultural,
environmental and resource values. However, until
now, there has been little research conducted into the
knowledge, attitudes and abilities of Indigenous land
owners to manage weeds, and there is currently no longterm strategy for weed management on Native Title lands.
In the past, partnerships between researchers and
Indigenous land managers usually focused on single
weed species, rather than the development of a
comprehensive and integrated approach to non-native
plants built on an understanding of Indigenous land
management practices and their capacity to eradicate
problem species.
As part of RIRDC’s National Weeds Program, two
projects are addressing this knowledge shortfall.
The first will consider the implications of the
changing nature of land ownership for Australia’s
weed management; the weed management priorities
of Native Title holders; and the opportunities and
limitations of current weed institutions, policies and
programs with respect to Native Title holders.
The second will work with Indigenous land owners in
a case study approach to describe weed problems;
identify Indigenous perspectives and compare and
contrast them with non-Indigenous perspectives; and
identify ways to improve the capacity of Indigenous
owners to address weed issues.
17
Phase 1
research
Caption: Spinyhead Sida, Beatrice Hill, lower Adelaide River, NT. Image: Colin G Wilson & DSEWPaC
building knowledge and
embracing innovation
18
Nationally coordinated weeds research is vital in
tackling one of Australia’s most pressing natural
resource management issues.
The projects were selected to build on existing weeds
knowledge and to enhance the innovation of approaches
to management of weeds.
Phase 1 of the National Weeds and Productivity Research
Program funded 39 research projects worth nearly $3.6
million, with a view to reducing the impact of weeds on
productivity and the environment.
As manager of Phase 2 of the National Weeds Program,
the Rural Industries Research and Development
Corporation (RIRDC) is now publishing the findings of
these 39 research projects.
This phase of the program, which ran from 2008 to 2010,
was managed by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry (DAFF).
The final reports from the Phase 1 DAFF-managed
research projects are available online at the RIRDC
website at www.rirdc.gov.au/weeds
Phase 1 research
The impact of heliotrope at different populations on soil nutrient and moisture levels was found to have a significant effect on crop yields
Photo: Birchip Cropping Group
Controlling summer weeds
protects winter wheat yields
A clearer picture has emerged of the exact toll
summer weeds take on soil moisture and nutrient
availability in Victorian cropping areas.
It also drew on historical rainfall data and modern yield
modelling software to calculate the estimated impact on
Mallee crops.
Failure to control summer weeds could cost Mallee
wheat growers up to one tonne per hectare in lost
crop yields, according to the research by the Birchip
Cropping Group (BCG) conducted under Phase 1
of the Australian Government’s National Weeds and
Productivity Research Program.
The report estimated that the return on investment of
conducting weed control – calculated from the cost of
herbicide and its application compared to the return in
extra grain yield – was between one in five and one in nine
depending on the price of wheat.
In his report BCG researcher Harm van Rees states that
wheat crops planted in paddocks where summer weeds
were left uncontrolled averaged 2.8t/ha in the Mallee,
compared to 3.8t/ha in paddocks where summer weeds
had been treated.
“Summer weeds have an adverse effect on farm viability
in southern Australian cropping regions, because they
use water and nutrients that could otherwise be used by
ensuing crops,” he said.
“For example, this research project found that summer
weeds such as heliotrope, at high density, used
50 millimetres of stored soil water that would otherwise
have been available to the following crop.”
The research project measured moisture and nutrient
use of both heliotrope and camel melon – the two major
summer weeds in the region – at different populations in
the sandy clay loam soils north of Birchip.
“This clearly demonstrates the importance of early and
effective summer weed control,” he said.
Mr van Rees said the forecast climate change scenarios
indicated that summer weed populations were likely to
become worse as more rain falls in southern Australia
during summer and less rain is likely in winter and spring.
“This research will help farmers make decisions about the
profitability of controlling summer weeds,” he said. “Our
research clearly demonstrates the importance of early and
effective summer weed control.”
The model used by the research team has since been
further tested by the Grains Research and Development
Corporation water use efficiency project and in the weed
field trials carried out by the Birchip Cropping Group
during the summer of 2010–11.
19
Phase 1 research
Before and after: timely use of fire is an effective control tool for para grass
Image: Tony Grice, CSIRO
Protecting wetlands with fire
Many Northern Australian wetlands have been
invaded by naturalised pasture species, including
para grass, but the timely use of fire could hold the
key to restoring these environments.
Research undertaken by the CSIRO as part of Phase 1 of
the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program
found that burning in the mid– to late–dry season can
create ‘windows’ in space and time when the aboveground biomass of para grass (Urochloa mutica) is
reduced and native plant species can recover.
Para grass occurs in coastal areas from north-eastern New
South Wales, along much of the east coast of Queensland
and into the Top End of the Northern Territory.
20
Their report, Using Fire to Restore Australian Wetlands
that have been Degraded by Invasive Grasses, states the
timing of fire, and the timing and depth of the wet season
inundations which follow, are crucial to the success of the
strategy.
Typically, northern wetlands are seasonally inundated as
a result of the region’s pronounced wet and dry seasons.
The timing and duration of inundation vary from year to year
depending on the amount and temporal distribution of rainfall.
“Burning as late as possible in the dry season maximises the
likelihood of post-fire inundation, which disadvantages the
para grass at a time when its population is recovering from
the fire,” the report states.
Among the important habitats it occupies are seasonally
inundated coastal wetlands, where it often forms a near
monoculture over extensive areas.
In trials at the 72-hectare site within the Townsville Town
Common Conservation Park, which is typical of the type of
wetlands found across northern Australia, fires reduced the
total above-ground biomass by 72‑100 per cent.
Lead researcher Tony Grice said these structural changes
have major flow-on effects for native fauna of wetlands,
especially water birds.
In November 2009 the proportional contribution of para
grass to above-ground biomass ranged from 55‑100 per
cent; by April 2010 the range was 0-47 per cent.
“However, fire shows promise as a tool for restoring
wetlands that have been degraded by the invasion of para
grass,” Dr Grice said. “Our research aimed to test and
improve the application of these experimental burning
techniques at the landscape scale.”
Ground and aerial photographic evidence shows that large
areas of the wetland that had been dominated (more than
90 per cent) by para grass had been converted to open
water with a mix of native plant species, a habitat type
preferred by many water bird species.
Phase 1 research
Predicting the spread of weeds
Understanding the factors that encourage the
spread of weeds is crucial to predicting future
invasion hotspots and limiting the damage exotic
species do to the landscape.
Research conducted by the University of Melbourne and
Victoria’s Department of Sustainability and Environment
during Phase 1 of the National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program has developed the first multi-species
model for predicting weed spread.
Lead researcher Jane Catford, of the School of Botany at
the University of Melbourne, said the new model was based
on historical occupancy and abundance data, and took
weed forecasting beyond single-species predictions.
“The approach is flexible and can be applied in different
biomes, at multiple scales and to different groups of taxa,”
Dr Catford said.
“Quantifying general processes of plant invasion and
predicting invasion risk will improve the efficiency of weed
surveillance and control.”
Using spatially referenced historical data on the locations
of non-native plant species, the research team modelled
the species’ expected cover as a function of environmental
conditions and the geographic location of a site.
Testing the model in a case study region covering Victoria’s
Corangamite catchment, researchers found that weed
invasion was highest near areas of human activity and near
A lesser known alien wetland plant water primrose
(Ludwigia peploides)
Image: Dr Jane Catford, University of Melbourne
the edges of vegetation fragments where native vegetation
cover was relatively low.
Sites with high vegetation cover had a greater probability
of weed occupancy, but a lower proportional abundance of
invaders.
The other areas most vulnerable to general exotic plant
invasion, for both presence and abundance, were near
towns and along roads.
“This work holds out the promise that, by quantifying
processes that influence the distribution and abundance of
exotic plants, it is possible to predict habitats and regions
that are vulnerable to invasion irrespective of geographic
region,” Dr Catford said.
“Given the threat posed by increasing numbers of invaders,
such a general approach to invasion risk might be an
extremely valuable tool for ecologists, land managers and
regulators.
“Moving beyond species-based predictions will enable
more efficient management and surveillance; will ensure
that the majority of species causing an exotic plant incursion
are dealt with; and can suggest areas vulnerable to future
invasion by functionally similar species.”
Mapping of weed coverage in Victoria’s Corangamite catchment.
Image: Dr Jane Catford, University of Melbourne
Funding for this project was provided by the National
Weeds and Productivity Research Program and the
Applied Environmental Decision Analysis, Commonwealth
Environmental Research Facility.
21
Phase 1 research
Managing weed spread
after cyclones
Tropical cyclones regularly
leave a swathe of destruction
through North Queensland’s
tropical rainforests, opening the
way for incursion by numerous
weed species.
Research undertaken by the CSIRO
as part of Phase 1 of the National
Weeds and Productivity Research
Program found that the impact of
weeds on rainforest environments
could be seen for several years after
a cyclone, but that native species
also show remarkable resilience in
recovering from the damage.
The report, Weed response to
cyclones in the Wet Tropics
rainforests: Impacts and adaptation,
summarises nearly four years
of monitoring work that was
conducted in rainforests near
Innisfail, Qld, following Tropical
Cyclone Larry in 2006.
Led by CSIRO scientist Helen
Murphy, the research team found
weed populations boomed as more
sunlight entered the rainforest,
although some weed species
were suppressed by the increased
amount of forest litter and debris on
the ground.
“Larger woody weeds and vines were
found to be more persistent, which
has longer-term implications for
rainforest composition and structure
and highlights where management
effort should be focussed.” Dr
Murphy said.
“As light levels decrease with
time the level of mortality of these
species will probably increase. In
the meantime, however, the effect
of the presence of these species is
to usurp space, reducing the rate of
recruitment and succession of native
species in the understorey.”
Researchers monitored the
recruitment, growth and mortality of
native and invasive species every
three to four months near El Arish,
south of Innisfail.
In the immediate aftermath of
Cyclone Larry some 23 species
of weeds from 13 families were
recorded. By 2009, however, both
the population and variety of weeds
had fallen, with just 11 species of
weeds from eight families recorded.
Damage sustained at El Arish field site as a result of
Cyclone Larry in April 2006. Image: Travis Sydes, Biosecurity
Queensland. Image: T Sydes, Biosecurity Queensland
22
“If the future impacts of weeds in
tropical rainforests are to be reduced
it is essential to understand the
dynamics of weed invasion following
cyclones and the long-term effects
of weeds on forest composition and
structure,” the report states.
“Importantly, the research identified
that if another cyclone causes
significant disturbance before the
canopy recovers, fast-growing and
early reproducing woody weeds will
have the capacity to spread rapidly
through the landscape and increase
their contribution to the rainforest
community.”
Climate change scenarios predict
an increasing intensity of cyclones
in the tropics. This research and its
recommendations will help inform the
response of policy makers and land
managers.
This work was funded by the Weeds
Cooperative Research Centre,
Biosecurity Queensland, the National
Weeds and Productivity Research
Program, the Marine and Tropical
Sciences Research Facility and
CSIRO.
Near the same site after Cyclone Yasi in May 2011.
Image: Biosecurity Queensland.
Phase 1 research
Phase 1 Weeds Research Projects
Overcoming paraquat resistance:
the potential for herbicide
mixtures to reverse paraquat
resistance – University of Western
Australia
Developing best practice
methods to manage invasion
pathways of gamba grass –
Department of Natural Resources,
the Environment, Arts & Sport
Molecular control of
reproduction in weeds – CSIRO
Quantifying aquatic weed
impacts and reducing herbicide
use through seasonal efficacy
trials – Queensland Department of
Primary Industries and Fisheries
Predicting ecosystem invasibility:
towards spatial prioritisation of
weed management – University of
Melbourne
Biological control of weedy
Sporobolus species by the
fungus Nigrospora oryzae – Royal
Melbourne Institute of Technology
Estimation of investment
required to achieve weed
eradication – Queensland
Department of Primary Industries
& Fisheries
Best practice for making
strategic decisions about weeds
of commercial value – CSIRO
Using UAVs and innovative
classification algorithms in the
Detection of Cacti – University of
Sydney
Managing weeds and herbicides
in a genetically modified farming
system – NSW Department of
Primary Industries
Developing novel diagnostic
tools for weed identification –
Victorian Department of Primary
Industries
Fencelines and roadsides as
invasion sites for problematic
weed species – Birchip Cropping
Group
Does clonality facilitate rapid
invasion of the aquatic weed
Sagittaria platyphylla? – CSIRO
Integrating adaptive weed
management and biodiversity
conservation in the Blue
Mountains – Blue Mountains City
Council
Livestock grazing: a practical
tool to control exotic grasses in
remnant vegetation – CSIRO
Host testing of the gorse pod
moth, Cydia succedana, for the
biological control of gorse in
Australia – University of Tasmania
Seed banks of weed-invaded
wetlands: implications for
biodiversity and restoration –
CSIRO
Field host range of high priority
potential biocontrol agents of
Parkinsonia aculeate – CSIRO
Summer weeds – counting the
costs for a climate changed
future – Birchip Cropping Group
Establishment of a National
Weed Surveillance Mapping
Portal – Christopher Auricht
Maximising knowledge for
adoption: building on recent
weeds research – Land & Water
Australia
Ecological approach to
landscape restoration of
wetlands degraded by invasive
grasses – CSIRO
Phytotoxins produced by
Phomopsis spp. with potential
herbicidal activity against
Carthamus lanatus – Charles
Sturt University
Biological control and ecology
of cabomba and alligator weed –
CSIRO
Introduction of lacy-winged
seed fly for Chrysanthemoides
monilifera biological control
– Victorian Department of Primary
Industries
Pollen-mediated gene flow in
weed species from adjacent
farms into organic farms –
University of Western Australia
Overcoming and avoiding
metabolism based herbicide
resistance in Lolium rigidum –
University of Western Australia
Identifying the basis of dual
glyphosate and paraquat
resistance in Lolium rigidum
selected at reduced rates of
glyphosate – University of Western
Australia
Web-enabling the National Weed
Incursion Toolkit for coordinated
weed management – Bureau of
Rural Sciences
Weed response to cyclones in
the Wet Tropics rainforests:
impacts and adaptation – CSIRO
Lippia biological control –
CSIRO
Implementation of biological
control of Chilean needle grass
and serrated tussock – Victorian
Department of Primary Industries
Weed seed retention at crop
maturity of major south-eastern
Australian weed species – Birchip
Cropping Group
Protecting agricultural
production and iconic Australian
grasslands from herbicide
resistant serrated tussock –
Victorian Department of Primary
Industries
Management of creeping
lantana – Stage 2 – University of
Queensland
Improved detection and
eradication of Hieracium:
experiments and 2nd generation
dispersal models – University of
Melbourne
Climate change impacts on
agricultural weeds in Western
Australia – Curtin University of
Technology
National bellyache bush
(Jatropha gossypiifolia) best
practice manual – Queensland
Department of Primary Industries
and Fisheries
The impact of boneseed invasion
on biodiversity – University of
Wollongong
23
National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program Advisory Committee
The strategic direction of the National Weeds and Productivity Research Program and the research
investments made by RIRDC is overseen by the Weeds Advisory Committee. Chaired by former Federal
Primary Industries Minister John Kerin AM, the committee is comprised of representatives from RIRDC, the
agricultural and Indigenous communities, and leaders in the fields of biosecurity and weed management.
Chairperson
Hon John Kerin AM
The Honourable John Kerin AM is a
former Federal Treasurer, Minister for
Trade and Overseas Development,
Minister for Primary Industries and
Energy and Minister for Transport and
Communications. Mr Kerin is currently
on the board at CSIRO and chaired the
interim Steering Committee for Stage 1
of the National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program.
T: 02 6285 2480 / 0417 252 785
A: P.O Box 5003, Garren, 2605
E: kerrier5@bigpond.net.au
Members
Dr John Virtue
Dr John Virtue is Manager of the NRM
Biosecurity Unit in Biosecurity SA. Prior
to his current role Dr Virtue was the
Senior Weed Ecologist in the South
Australian Government and was also
associated with the selection of Weeds
of National Significance.
T: 08 8303 9502 / 0428 112 943
A: GPO Box 1671, Adelaide, 5001
E: John.Virtue@sa.gov.au
Mr John Thorp
24
Mr Matthew Kennewell
Aunty Virginia Robinson
Matthew Kennewell is the Invasive
Species Coordinator for South Coast
Natural Resource Management in
Western Australia. He has worked for
over ten years in National Parks, focusing
on invasive species control and promoting
ecological restoration of flora and fauna.
Virginia Robinson is an Aboriginal
woman of the Yuwaalaraay tribe
of north-west NSW and currently
works as the Aboriginal Cultural
Heritage (ACH) Officer and the
Yuwaalaraay-Gamilaraay Language
teacher for the Dharriwaa Elders
Group at Walgett.
T: 08 9845 8520 / 0447 928 434
A: 39 Mercer Road, Albany, WA, 6330
E: MattK@southcoastnrm.com.au
Prof. Roger Cousens
Roger Cousens is a Professor in the
Department of Resource Management and
Geography at the University of Melbourne.
His major research area over 27 years
has been the ecology and biology of
weeds. Professor Cousens published
the book Dynamics of Weed Populations
in 1995 and places particular emphasis
on population dynamics of weeds and
competition between weeds and crops.
T: 03 8344 9749 / 0407 338 097
A: School of Land and Environment,
Melbourne, 3010
E: rcousens@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Rohan Rainbow
Dr Rohan Rainbow is the Manager for
Crop Protection with the Grains Research
and Development Corporation, and has
over 20 years’ experience in agricultural
research and communication.
John Thorp is an agricultural scientist and
extension officer who currently acts as a
National Weeds Management Facilitator.
Mr Thorp was Project Manager for the
implementation of the National Weeds
Strategy and Executive Officer to the
Australian Weeds Committee. He
also facilitated the development of the
Weeds of National Significance and
their subsequent management.
Dr Jeanine Baker is Director of the
Weeds and Pest Animals Section,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry. Dr Baker has more than 10
years of experience working in the area of
invasive weed species.
T: 03 6344 9657 / 0419 323 400
A: PO Box 96, Newstead, Tasmania, 7250
E: jthorp@jta.com.au
T: 02 6272 4579
A: GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT, 2601
E: jeanine.baker@daff.gov.au
T: 02 6166 4500
A: PO Box 5367, Kingston, ACT, 2604
E: R.Rainbow@grdc.com.au
Dr Jeanine Baker
More information:
National Weeds and Productivity Research Program
Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation
PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604
Phone: 02 6271 4100
Fax: 02 6271 4199
Email: weeds@rirdc.gov.au
Website: www.rirdc.gov.au/weeds
A: PO Box 174, Walgett,
NSW, 2832
E: virginiarobinson@
dharriwaaeldersgroup.org.au
Philip Reader
Philip Reader is a Bishopsbournebased industrial hemp producer and
the chairperson of the Tasmanian
Farmers and Graziers Association
(TFGA) Weeds Standing
Committee.
T: 03 6397 3199
A: RMB 1939, Bishopsbourne,
as, 7301 E: pj.reader@bigpond.com
Craig Burns
Craig Burns is Managing Director
of the Rural Industries Research
and Development Corporation.
T: 02 6271 4100
E: craig.burns@rirdc.gov.au
Ken Moore
Ken Moore is the RIRDC Senior
Research Manager responsible for
the National Weeds and Productivity
Research Program.
T: (02) 6271 4127 / 0418 107 196
A: Level 2, 15 National Circuit,
Barton ACT 2600
E: ken.moore@rirdc.gov.au