Management of the South African grass Tribolium uniolae (L.f.) Renvoize invading threatened plant communities in the Brixton Street Wetlands
Kate BrownA and Kris Brooks, Environmental Weeds Action Network, c/- PO Box 380, Greenwood, Western Australia 6924, Australia.
A Current address: 139 Herbert Road, Shenton Park, Western Australia 6008, Australia.
Summary
The South African grass Tribolium uniolae (L.f.) Renvoize is invading bushland around Perth and has the potential to become a serious environmental weed in southwest Western Australia. Trials were set up to test the effectiveness of herbicides Roundup®, Fusilade® and Sertin Plus® on different growth stages of T. uniolae at different times of the year. The trials were established in the Brixton Street Wetlands south east of Perth where T. uniolae is serious threat to native plant communities. A mean of 26.1% (se ± 8.0) of plants in trial plots resprouted following an unplanned wild fire in January 2000. Fusilade at 10 mL L-1 + Pulse® and Roundup at 10 mL L-1 were applied to resprouting plants resulting in 5.4% (se ± 2.9) and 2.2% (se ± 5.1) survivorship respectively. Fusilade at 15 mL L-1 + Pulse was 100% effective on mature plants when applied at flowering time however these results were compounded by one of the driest seasons on record. Younger plants were not effectively controlled at flowering time. When applied before they flowered, Fusilade at 10 mL L-1 + Pulse resulted in only 3.9% (se ± 0.9) survivorship of younger plants. Observations suggest that T. uniolae is spreading mainly by seed. Water movement, fire and possibly ants are facilitating invasion of this weed into relatively undisturbed bushland.
Plant Protection Quarterly (2003) 18 (3) 99-102.