Working with weeds
Posted on 25 January, 2018 by Asha
Our local Landcare and Friends groups play a huge role in managing weeds to allow native habitat to survive and thrive in our landscape. There are many weed control methods (e.g., herbicide application, biological control, manual removal), but a combined approach is usually best. Our local groups need specialised skills to successfully control weeds and restore our landscapes.
Paterson’s Curse (Echium plantagineum) in Campaspe Valley
To support our local groups, Connecting Country recently ran ‘ACUP Training for Landcare’, a project funded through the Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Community Grants Program. The project helped members from six Landcare and Friends groups complete a Farm Chemical Users Course with GOTAFE and then apply for their Agricultural Chemical Users Permit (ACUP). This qualification has given them the skills and confidence to safely and effectively use a range of herbicides, including some targeted herbicides for controlling specific weeds.
This project is now complete, but if any members of Landcare or Friends groups are interested in future training opportunities, please email Asha via asha@connectingcountry.org.au
If you are after more information about how to best manage weeds on your property or with your Landcare group, you can refer to our Weed Control web page (CLICK HERE), which has information on principals of weed control, specific weed information, and links to useful weed resources. We also have a range of brochures and other resources available at our office, so feel free to drop in or give us a call on (03) 5472 1594 if you would like copies.
These are commendable skills to have, especially the ‘safe’ aspect of herbicide use. We do not want another debacle like the use of 2,4,5-T, when we later discovered that, altho it was an effective herbicide, it was personally dangerous and had a number of unexpected, adverse consequences. The other aspect is what to target. So often we target weeds that are well-established and we end up ‘peeing in a wet suit’ (we get a lovely warm feeling, but otherwize make little difference). The best time to attack weeds is before they become well-established. We may have ‘missed the boat’ with Texas Needle-grass, but the Tarrengower Cactus Group is a great example of effective ‘early attack’.