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Defeating the Weed Menace R&D Program Projects

Best Practice for On-ground Property Weed Detection

Through phone surveying of landholders and noxious weed officers, this project better identified current weed surveillance levels and practices on farms and ways to improve weed detection. Because of the large area of Australia owned and managed by farmers and graziers, the project has used this information to develop a guide for landholders, on how to look for weeds, get them identified and report them to the relevant authorities.

Biological control and ecology of Alligator Weed

This project investigated the potential use of biological control agents to assist
in the management of alligator weed in Australia. This was achieved through:

  1. testing the host specificity of two herbivorous insects for potential use
    as biological control agents,
  2. completing ecological studies to better understand alligator weed in order
    to develop and promote more effective methods of control.

Boneseed Rust: A highly promising candidate for biological control

This project investigated the use of Endophyllum osteospermi (a systemic rust fungus) in the biological control of boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. monilifera). This systemic South African rust fungus has been found to reduce growth and the reproduction of plants by causing extensive deformation of infected branches (witches’ broom). Boneseed is a Weed of National Significance, which occurs mainly in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. (more)...

Cost-effective surveillance of emerging aquatic weeds using robotic aircraft

In the 2007/2008 Defeating the Weed Menace R&D program, a novel approach to the detection and eradication of emerging aquatic weeds was presented. The Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) at the University of Sydney proposed the development of an autonomous weed controller: one that wouldn’t tire, would travel large distances, and wouldn’t mind traversing through difficult to access areas in the hope of detecting and eradicating nasty weeds – (more)...

Developing a model for environmental weed management in fragmented landscapes: A case study

This project is focused on landscape scale weed management in South East South Australia. It is designed to test the scientific merit, acceptability and usefulness of a new integrated planning tool that takes account of the interactions of weeds and natural systems across entire landscapes. The management tool has been developed to assist in prioritising environmental weed management actions based on the risks posed.

Development of new biocontrol agents for Parkinsonia

Parkinsonia is a Weed of National Significance (WONs) due to its impacts on the environment and agricultural production. Biological control of this weed is considered essential for its long term management. Classical biological control consists of introducing safe and effective natural enemies of the plant from its native range. A thorough understanding of the fauna of a target weed is essential information for a biocontrol project to proceed. In this project, the understanding of the (more)...

Ecological, economic and social considerations of spray control for Hymenachne

Hymenachne, a Weed of National Significance (WONs), is an aquatic plant invading northern Australia’s wetlands and waterways. The proliferation of this weed is associated with serious ecological losses and there are substantial costs associated with its control. Hymenachne also deserves special attention given the nexus regarding its beneficial use as a ponded pasture species for livestock production and drought management, and the disadvantages associated with its spread and ecological (more)...

Effect of land use and peri-urban development on aquatic weeds

We are interested in understanding the individual growth responses and competitive dynamics of native and invasive aquatic macrophytes in various environmental conditions.  Before initiating a more complex study, we propose to evaluate the effects of a single factor, shading, on the growth of non-native aquatic macrophytes.  This factor is relevant to the larger scope of our research, in which we are investigating the effects of peri-urban development on aquatic plant populations.  (more)...

Elucidating relationships between disturbance and invasion in riparian zones

This project sought to develop improved riparian weed management strategies by analysing the linkages between disturbance from flood events and both weed invasion and tree recruitment in riparian areas. Analysis of an existing dataset containing assessments of vegetation variables from 23 rivers across Victoria resulted in the development of predictive models relating the number of eucalypt and acacia seedlings at a site to the number of parent trees, the amount of bare ground, the catchment management (more)...

End-user needs for developing a national information system for weeds

This project clearly defines end user needs of a national information system for weeds. It highlights the ways in which BioSIRT, as a national emergency response data management tool for weeds, is not appropriate for broader application to end-user needs of a national information system. A generic framework and processes for developing a national information system for weeds is provided.