Needle Grass & the Damage Done
Posted on 12 October, 2015 by Connecting Country
Chilean Needle Grass, Texas Needle Grass and their close relative Serrated Tussock will be the focus of an information session at the Barfold Hall on Saturday 17th October 2015.
This photo from New Zealand shows how serious some farmers are about keeping Needle Grass out of their property. From http://agrihq.co.nz/fwplus/.
The session’s focus on identification and control methods will be extremely helpful for landholders wishing to protect their property from invasion by these plants, and for those who already have a problem and would like to know what their control options are.
The session will be presented by Martin Deering, biosecurity officer for Loddon Mallee Region.
Texas Needle Grass is fairly widespread in the upper Campaspe River catchment, between Kyneton and Lake Eppalock. In some places whole paddocks have been made unusable for grazing by an invasion of this perennial tussock-forming grass.
Chilean Needle Grass and Serrated Tussock are not well-established in the region but have the potential to be a serious threat to agriculture and the environment across the Mount Alexander Shire.
One of the big challenges for land managers concerned about Needle Grass is identifying the plant. Needle Grasses can look almost identical to native Spear Grasses, and as with many grasses, they are difficult to identify when not in flower.
Spring is the best time to take a look at what’s growing on your property or roadside to find out whether that mystery plant is a friend or foe.
The session will take place on Saturday 17th October, from 10.30 am at Barfold Hall, 1909 Kyneton-Redesdale Rd, Barfold. All are welcome and there is no need to RSVP.
This event is part of the Campaspe Valley Landcare Group’s ‘Stopping Stipoids in The Upper Campaspe’ project, funded by a Victorian Landcare Grant from the North Central Catchment Management Authority.
Leave a Reply