A weedy problem and where to get help (blog)
There’s a good reason for the saying ‘growing like weeds’. Weeds have the ability to spread and grow with seemingly little attendance and can be extremely hardy - sprouting up and thriving almost anywhere. They threaten the country’s unique biodiversity, fuel fires and cost Australian agriculture an estimated $4 billion annually.
Weed control is everyone’s responsibility. As a land manager – that is a home or property owner, farmer, or business owner – it pays to know your responsibilities when it comes to weeds. We can provide support through weed identification and recommendations for control.
Working together to beat pest plants
While each landscape board region has different priority weeds, boards also work together to control or eradicate pest plants for the benefit of agriculture, native species and the environment across the state.
Cape tulip is a declared weed, toxic to livestock, which thrived in the wake of 2019-20 bushfires on Kangaroo Island.
This posed a serious threat to the island’s livestock industry and prompted landscape officers from across the state to come together on KI for a control blitz to get on top of the weed. The week-long blitz, which also involved other government agencies, farmers, landholders and community members, saw this declared weed sprayed across large areas of the island.
While control at such a large scale may be uncommon, the range of stakeholders involved in everyday control is not. Defeating pest plants is a shared responsibility and needs the coordinated efforts of landholders, the community and other stakeholders, with landscape boards available for control advice.
Three things you can do to stop weed spread
- Keep your eye out: if you see a plant that you are unsure about – whether it’s in your backyard or paddock, along a roadside or in a community reserve – seek advice from your local district officer.
- Act quickly: controlling weeds early will save time and money.
- Stay vigilant: weeds can be dormant for a time before sprouting up again, for example, fountain grass seeds can survive seven years in soil.
Which weeds have to be controlled in South Australia?
As a land manager it pays to know your weeds especially those declared by legislation as threats to our agriculture productivity, biodiversity and public health. South Australia has 150 declared pest plants. Declared plants are those that must be controlled by landholders under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.
That said, the diversity of our landscapes – from lush green paddocks to desert and rangelands – means that certain pest plants are more of a problem in one area of the state than another. South Australia’s landscape boards respond to this challenge by identifying the priority pests for each region.
Get in touch with us to learn about the priority weeds in the Murraylands and Riverland region, or find out more information here.
Where can I get help?
Our district officer teams can offer practical support including:
- help to identify weeds, and
- advice on control options.
You can contact us for weed advice. Our pest plant page is a good starting point to find out more about management in the region. Farmers may also talk to their agronomist for advice; and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) also has a range of weed information.
Want to know more?
You can find out more about the state’s highest priority weeds in PIRSA’s Declared plants of South Australia - are they on your land? booklet and on PIRSA’s biosecurity page and the Weed Control Handbook for declared plants in South Australia is also a handy resource.
Weeds are opportunistic and can take hold following fire, flood and drought. Find out more here.
