HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT | Page 48

L VING ON HE LAND con’t from previous page These summer pastures can be managed during late summer and autumn to maintain groundcover that will help prevent fireweed seedlings from growing. Winter or spring-growing pasture species such as phalaris, cocksfoot, fescue, ryegrass, white clover and subterranean clover will compete directly with fireweed. This pasture combination is relatively slow to establish and may initially require selective herbicide treatment to control fireweed. Once established, phalaris and fescue develop into large, tussocky plants that provide direct competition to fireweed. Grazing Cattle and horses normally avoid eating fireweed (and the pasture below it): this can favour the growth and competitiveness of the weed, increasing infestation. Grazing pressure needs to be matched to pasture growth and availability to avoid pasture decline. Sheep and goats will eat fireweed: they preferentially graze the plant, and display a high tolerance to its poison, and have proven to be a simple, cheap and effective management method. To avoid stock health issues when fireweed is present, land managers should use a new group of animals each year to limit the cumulative effects of fireweed poisoning not grazing the same group on infested areas for more than two consecutive seasons. Do not use breeding stock for fireweed control. Either Merino or goat wethers are the ideal control group, or, if this is not possible, British breeds or crossbred sheep. Pastures contaminated with fireweed should not be baled or made into silage or hay. Chemical control in pastures Herbicides are a safe and effective method of control. The aim of herbicide treatment is to minimise the establishment of a large population of fireweed in autumn. The longer that fireweed plants live, the more seed they produce, and large amounts of seed lead to heavy infestations. A well-timed herbicide application can be very effective in reducing the density of fireweed infestation for more than a year. There is a range of herbicides registered for fireweed control. Established 1991 Bromoxynil herbicides cause less damage to pasture legumes, but are only effective against fireweed seedlings and immature plants. These herbicides should be applied in autumn soon after the peak germination period has passed. May, June, July, August is when the daily maximum air temperature falls to below 20°C, and damage to legumes is less likely to occur. Treatment at this time will both maximise the kill of seedlings and kill immature early season plants before they become too mature to be susceptible to the herbicide. Herbicides that cause more damage to pasture legumes have a longer application window and can be applied in spring if necessary. These herbicides include Grazon® Extra and metsulfuron-methyl.  When applying herbicides for weed control in pastures, special care should be taken to check and adhere to stock withholding periods. Hand weeding Hand weeding (removing individual plants) is appropriate when infestations are very small or isolated, and can be a useful form of control in environmental areas. Wear gloves when hand weeding. Even after being removed from the soil, fireweed is still toxic to stock, and if it is flowering, it can still produce viable seed. All parts of the plant, especially the flowers, should be burnt or bagged and destroyed appropriately. Slashing/mulching Repeated cutting, typically at less than six week intervals, can reduce, but not eliminate, fireweed. However, while it controls fireweed, this technique is damaging to the pasture, and should only be considered where the pasture will rapidly recover and outcompete any seedlings. Fireweed should not be slashed in late spring or when plants present are still flowering. A danger of slashed or mulched fireweed is that it wilts and becomes more attractive to stock, which may increase the risk of livestock poisoning. Af ter slashing or mulching, fireweed-infested paddocks should not be grazed for at least two weeks. Reference:- NSW Department of Primary Industries - agriculture Dargle Turf & Soils Specialising in New & Used Firearms • Firearms • Knives • License Testing • Firearm Storage • Cerakote Firearms Protection (Rustproofing) • Firearms Safety Testing and Accreditation • Range of Archery Equipment Now In Store • Gun Safes • Ammunition Razorback Guns Garden Mixes and Mulches We supply, lay & deliver the following: • All types of turf lawns • Turf underlay • Fill & arena sand • Turf mulch for large areas • Screened gully soil • Special garden mixes • Levelling and spreading available Enquiries please phone: Alan 0407 218 070 or Chris 0413 843 908, Office 4579 1291 www.dargle.com.au or email [email protected] Go to North Richmond for all your firearm needs Unit 1/38 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond Ph: 4571 1885 [email protected] 48 ISSUE 61 // June 2015 www.razorbackguns.com.au HAWKESBURY DISTRICT INDEPENDENT NEWS www.hdinews.com.au