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NQ DRY TROPICS WEED FREE
WEED CONTROL METHODS CONT .
WEED CONTROL METHODS CONT .
PHYSICAL CONTROL
Physical control such as hand pulling or grubbing can be effective for very small infestations or where other methods would be impractical , access difficult or in environmentally sensitive areas . Personal protective equipment should be considered when using this method with hand held equipment like secateurs and mattocks . Good machinery hygiene is important to prevent the spread of weeds and disease from one area to another .
For small infestations physical removal of individual plants can be an effective method of control . Weed material should be destroyed through fire or by putting it in a plastic bag in the sun for at least 48 hours . The site should be marked to allow monitoring of the area for regrowth from the soil seed bank and / or remnant plant material to allow for follow up control .
SOLARISATION
Small infestations of weedy grasses or herbs such as Singapore daisy can be killed by slashing them low to the ground and pegging a sheet of black plastic over the top of them for more than a month . This prevents them from photosynthesising and the extreme heat under the plastic in full sun can kill both plants and their surface seed bank . Take care not to use this during the wet season in areas that are subject to overland flow .
PASTURE MANAGEMENT
Many weeds are more of a symptom than a problem in their own right , since most weeds are specialists of disturbance but are poor competitors . Any disturbance such as heavy grazing , erosion or other soil disturbance that leaves bare ground will encourage weeds . In the long term maintaining a healthy growth of grasses or other ground cover is necessary to out-