RnD4Profit-15-02-005 New biocontrol solution for sustainable management of weed impacts to agricultural profitability

A report on developing biocontrol agents for 10 weeds of importance in Australia, including five Weeds of National Significance (WoNS): cabomba, Sagittaria, prickly acacia, silverleaf nightshade and African boxthorn. Fleabane and sowthistle are major weeds of cropping land while mother-of-millions and giant rat’s tail grass impact grazing land. Ox-eye daisy is becoming a serious environmental weed on crown land.

Jumping the Garden Fence

This CSIRO report for WWF Australia explores the environmental and agricultural impacts of invasive garden plants in Australia.

RnD4Profit-14-01-040 Fast-tracking and maximising the long-lasting benefits of weed biological control for farm productivity: Final Report

This project aimed to realise significant productivity and profitability improvements for primary producers by focusing on one piece of the national weed management puzzle – biological control, a measure which has a demonstrated collective national return on investment of at least 23:1.

Weeds of the future? Threats to Australia’s grazing industries by garden plants

This study found 281 plants currently available in Australian nurseries present a significant risk to Australia’s grazing industries should they escape from Australian gardens and naturalise. Of these plants, one third are toxic and may harm, or even kill, livestock while almost all have been commercially available in Australia for many years.

Meat & Livestock Australia weed control publications

MLA invests in weed control research and development (R&D) to create effective and long-lasting methods of eradicating weeds from pastures to create a sustainable feed base for livestock. Find reports, publications and best practice information.

Rural R&D for Profit Program – New biocontrol solution for sustainable management of weed impacts to agricultural profitability

This project aimed to develop biocontrol agents for the control of ten weeds of importance in Australia. Five of these weeds are Weeds of National Significance (WoNS): cabomba, Sagittaria, prickly acacia, silverleaf nightshade and African boxthorn. Fleabane and sowthistle have become major weeds of cropping land while mother-of-millions and giant rat’s tail grass impact on grazing land. The final weed, ox-eye daisy is becoming a serious environmental weed in crown land.

Weeds of pastures and field crops in Tasmania: economic impacts and biological control

The primary aim of this technical bulletin by By J.E. Ireson, J.T. Davies, D.A. Friend, R.J. Holloway, W.S. Chatterton, E.I. Van Putten and R.E.C. McFadyen was to provide a revised assessment of the cost of weeds to Tasmanian pastures and field crops as well as identifying the weeds that are having the most significant impact on Tasmanian agriculture. It also reviews the current status of all weed biological control programs that have been conducted in Tasmania against some of the major weeds and provides a case study of the successful biological control program on ragwort. The document should serve as a useful reference for those involved in weed control both within the state and nationally.

Weeds in winter pulses: integrated solutions

Guides by Di Carpenter and Annabel Bowcher for the management of weeds in winter pulse crops, looking at the whole farm business and developing strategies involving a wide range of techniques. These publications provides an overview of all aspects of managing weeds during the pulse phase of crop rotation, including what pulse species to choose, weed impacts on pulse production, problem weed species by state, optimisation of the competitive ability of pulses against weed species and weed management using an integrated approach drawn from the suite of available chemical and cultural control methods.

The specification, estimation and validation of a quarterly structural econometric model of the Australian grazing industries

This model’s development by David Vere, Garry Griffith and Randall Jones closely follows the structural modelling procedures previously adopted in NSW Agriculture and represents an aggregation of that research into a single entity.

An integrated economic system and the farm and industry benefits of improved weed management

This paper by DT Vere, RE Jones and GR Griffith presents a brief review of the methodology of production systems modelling and provides details of the farm and industry modelling methods adopted in the construction of the integrated models. Examples of the application of this modelling system are presented.

The distribution, density and economic impact of weeds in the Australian annual winter cropping system

This paper by by Randall Jones, Yohannes Alemseged, Richard Medd and David Vere reports on an analysis of the costs of weeds in Australian annual winter cropping systems.