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.
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.
An economic evaluation of the research benefits and returns on investment in the Invasive Plants Cooperative Research Centre
This report by by Randall Jones, Garry Griffith and David Vere (NSW DPI) evaluates the economic return on benefit based on seven years of CRC work.
Annual Costs of Weeds in Australia
This economic assessment by Ross McLeod in 2018 estimates weeds to impose an overall average cost of nearly $5 billion across Australia. Overall costs have increased by more than 20% over the 14 years since the Sinden et al (2004) study.
Recent incursion of weeds in Australian 1971-1995
This report convened by RH Groves, appendix compiled by JR Hosking assigns dates to weed incursions and naturalisations wherever known.