Chemical review pasture dieback

Summary

Identification of productions losses from pasture dieback dates back to the 1990's in the Northern region of Australia originally identified in buffel grass, which then extended into other northern grass species including bluegrass.  The extent of buffel dieback based on a survey of growers, particularly in Central Queensland and South Burnett regions has now extended to 35,000 ha and may potentially be greater than 50,000 ha in area.
This project reviewed Australian and international chemical databases and published literature to collate potential chemical control options for an identified list of potential candidate soil borne pathogens, potentially in a complex. In central Queensland livestock producers are seeing pasture death, describing it as 'dieback'. The cause of dieback is not known, with impacts not on any particular pastures species though most commonly seen on (though not exclusively) introduced grasses.