Trials prove sprays and cultivation beat invasive gazanias
Trials combining sprays and deep cultivation show strong results against invasive gazanias threatening farmland in South Australia.
Gazanias were brought from South Africa as a garden plant in the 1950s and 1970s. Now they are an invasive weed across five Australian states.
The plant spreads fast and ruins farmland by taking soil moisture with its root system. Researchers from La Trobe University tested a mix of deep mechanical cultivation and herbicide spraying on farms in South Australia's Riverland and Eyre Peninsula.
Results were strong, with some farmers using video-sensor technology. The Grains Research and Development Corporation invested $700,000 in the three-year project.
Right now, no approved herbicide exists, so farmers must mix their own sprays. Researchers hope that within the next year or two they could see some minor use permits or registrations for new chemical controls.
- $700,000
- Project funding
- Three years
- Project length
- Loxton and Arno Bay
- Test sites
Why it mattersSince no approved herbicide exists yet, these results give farmers a practical way to protect their crops and reclaim affected land.
