Silverleaf Nightshade a pest plant nightmare in paddocks
Media release about Silverleaf Nightshade webinar
Farmers are urged to monitor paddocks and roadsides for Silverleaf Nightshade, a declared pest plant that can reduce crop yields by up to 70%.
Landscape Officer Jessica Cavallo said the deep-rooted perennial plant can become a costly and difficult problem to solve if left to establish.
“Silverleaf Nightshade is a weed that deprives crops and pastures of valuable nutrients and moisture throughout the Northern and Yorke region,” she said.
“Catching it early is critical, because once established it is very difficult to eradicate. Each plant has a root system that’s about the size of a small car and there are no suitable herbicide treatments to control dense infestations quickly.”
With November rains signalling the start of the Silverleaf Nightshade (solanum elaeagnifolium) growing season, the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board is hosting a webinar with tips and tricks for controlling this invasive weed.
WEED WEBINAR:
How to stop Silverleaf Nightshade causing a costly problem in your paddocks
Scheduled at 7pm on Tuesday, 8 December 2020, the 40-minute online session is designed to give farmers and landholders a snapshot of the best control methods, including how to identify it from a native look-alike species and a rapid-fire Q&A session.
The webinar will feature guest speakers including agronomist Chris Butler and Silverleaf Nightshade expert Dr Hanwen Wu, a Principal Research Scientist in the Weed Research Unit of NSW Department of Primary Industries. He recently co-authored comprehensive 68-page ‘Silverleaf nightshade best practice management manual’.
“Silverleaf Nightshade’s growing season coincides with one of the busiest times of the year for many farmers, so we hope this online format, which will be recorded for later viewing, will make this important information accessible to all,” said Mrs Cavallo.
“We also invite attendees to email photos of suspected Silverleaf Nightshade prior to the event, which our experts will identify during the session.”
Register for the webinar: https://silverleafnightshade.eventbrite.com.au
For more information about Silverleaf Nightshade, contact your local Landscape Officer at the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board on 8841 3444 or email ny.landscapeboard@sa.gov.au.
