Cooperative, integrated weed management in the Burdekin Dry Tropics
12 May 2023
This MLA Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) project demonstrated a new, cooperative and integrated approach to identify best practice management for high priority economic weeds in the Bowen, Broken and Bogie River (BBB) catchments of the Burdekin Dry Tropics.
This co-contributor PDS was a collaboration between MLA, NQ Dry Tropics and the core producers.
Background
An NQ Dry Tropics weed forum held at Collinsville in March 2018 identified the major weeds of concern to the BBB and agreed that cooperative approaches, the application of emerging technologies, on-farm biosecurity and improved grazing management were critical factors in the long-term management of the priority weeds.
Subsequent interactions with BBB producers showed that more than 92% of producers in the catchment identified weeds as being the biggest threat to the long-term sustainability of their businesses.
Major weeds identified that are of economic and productive significance (see image below), included:
- Lantana (Lantana camara)
- Rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora)
- Prickly acacia (Vachellia nilotica)
- Bellyache bush (Jatropha gossypiifolia)
- Chinee apple (Ziziphus mauritiana).
Some producers in the BBB were successfully managing major weeds through an integrated approach that included:
- attention to biosecurity
- consistent and vigilant management of weed occurrences
- adoption of the latest technologies
- maintenance of vigorous pastures to ensure competition with potential weed species.
Recommendations for more collaborative, integrated approaches between properties and with other land managers and adopting neighbor-friendly approaches to weeds were well received in discussions with producers. Although these approaches have been encouraged through regional weed management planning processes, regional government programs and through State government legislative and extension efforts, they were still not widely adopted.
Groups of producers (cluster groups) formed in the BBB as a producer support approach of the NQ Dry Tropics, Landholders Driving Change (LDC) project. Cluster groups were a critical part of engagement for this PDS, particularly Bowen River and Exmoor Road cluster groups and, initially, the Scottville cluster group.
In addition to the MLA-funded PDS, The NQ Dry Tropics Landholders Driving Change project provided up to $22,000 in cash for each of the six demonstration enterprises to initiate the demonstration, adoption and implementation of the improved weed management practices and provided locally based facilitators in the first two years of the project.
The demonstration
The project focused on demonstrating and adopting new, cooperative, integrated approaches on the six demonstration properties and identifying the best practice management of the highest priority economic weeds in the BBB catchments.
An initial cooperating property, Strathmore station (prickly acacia) withdrew from the project and was replaced by Sonoma station, Collinsville. Sonoma did not have prickly acacia but a weed with similar characteristics, mimosa bush (Vachellia farnesiana).
The six enterprises worked with the following weeds:
- Glenalpine station, Bowen (23,379ha) – emerging weeds
- Glenroc station, Gumlu (11,140ha) – rubber vine
- Inkerman station, Inkerman (16,180ha) – chinee apple
- Sonoma station, Collinsville (14,287ha) – mimosa bush
- Strathalbyn station, Bowen (32,916ha) – bellyache bush
- Turrawulla/Exmoor stations, Nebo/Collinsville (50,980ha) – lantana.
The properties tackled the weeds of most importance to their area, explored and where practical implemented a suite of options, including mechanical and chemical controls, combined with grazing best practices. Glenalpine also investigated the most effective methodologies and tactics for control of emerging weed threats for their operation.
The demonstration properties:
- applied on-farm biosecurity
- developed and implemented integrated weed management plans
- applied current and emerging technologies to the task
- utilised the equipment and machinery purchased through the LDC financial support
- implemented grazing best practices
- established competitive pasture for inhibiting weed germination and establishment.
Key outcomes
- The project reinforced the significance of weed management for producers in the project area and beyond. The key impacts included:
- the loss of production
- impact on ecological/landscape function
- time, effort and resources required to manage weeds in a grazing landscape.
- The project trailed and encouraged a wide range of weed management approaches, both current and some new technologies for the region, which resulted in a marked increase in weed management activity.
- Core producers achieved impressive production benefits through increased pasture biomass and pasture quality of treated country.
Producer case studies
Written case studies have been developed for each of the demonstration properties. The case studies outline the trials, results and knowledge gained throughout the project.
Access the case studies here:
