The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > Weed science a victim of the 'commercialisation axe' > Comments

Weed science a victim of the 'commercialisation axe' : Comments

By Rachel McFadyen, published 17/4/2007

Weeds are a major threat to agriculture and the environment in Australia but research support has been withdrawn next year.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All
While I agree totally with this article, I believe it neglects one aspect of weeds.
Not only have weeds (defined as any plant growing where it is not wanted) been imported into Australia from overseas, some varieties of Australian plants have been moved to other regions where they have flourished. Another influence which has caused Australian native plants to grow like weeds was the introduction of the European bee which has acted as a very effective pollinator. I believe that Queensland is losing 2% of grassland every year to what is euphemistically referred to as ‘woody weeds’. In many instances this is due to the spread of eucalyptus trees. Not only are they robbing our country people of grazing land, many of these trees cover the hills surrounding the reservoirs constructed to store water for city use and are partly responsible for the lack of water now causing severe restrictions. They rob the catchment in two ways. These eucalyptus trees drop litter which acts as a mulch, thus preventing water running down the slope, so instead such rain water is absorbed into the soil. The eucalyptus trees flourish by being able to draw up this subsoil moisture, preventing it draining down the slope. I suggest city people go for a drive into the country and look at the age of the eucalyptus trees along their roads or on the hills surrounding dams and estimate the age of these trees. If the tree has hollow limbs it may be a hundred years old. You will notice that there are very few such trees. Early photographs show that many parts of the country have become more heavily timbered since it was originally settled.
Posted by Country girl, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 9:59:15 AM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I guess you could say that "public good research" relates to my posting re alternative energy R&D in the USA under Carter and Reagan.
Reagan, Thatcher and Howard all believe to one degree or another that there is no such thing as the "public good"---only individuals or private companies acting in their own self-interest.

Once upon time we had the COMMON-wealth of Australia and the COMMON-wealth government. And the COMMON-wealth bank which was intially set up as the peoples bank to try to counter the perceived power of the private "free"-enterprise banks. And all kinds of mutual insurance companies (AMP--National Mutual) and even the NRMA.
All were privatised under the there is only private individuals etc ideology ---pursuing their self-interest.

No real visionary ideas or leadership allowed.
Posted by Ho Hum, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 10:31:02 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Here is a simple story about weeds. A farmer I know removed all his fences surrounding grain fields so that he could grass the verge between roads and his property. He then kept the grass mowed. Thus no weeds grew in this area and no weed seeds blew onto his cultivation land. One day he noticed a neatly formed square of this grass was dying and deduced that it has been sprayed with a grass killing chemical. He waited and watched until one day he saw a young man making calculations. This young man had been instructed by his employer, the chemical company to go out and find some grass to poison and test the results. The chemical company denied responsibility. What is the problem you may ask with a bit of dead grass? Weed seed in that soil exploited the opportunity to germinate when it no longer had to compete with a carpet of grass. The farmer was obliged to contend with the weeds at his cost until once more he could establish grass across the poisoned area.
This farmer is using environmentally safe practices to minimise his costs of eliminating weeds from his crops.
Posted by Country girl, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 12:05:55 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
I’m on the frontline of weed research in north Queensland, as a botanist who gets out all over the place and makes the primary observations, collections and photosets.

I am constantly turning up interesting weed records which are large range extensions, first records for pastoral districts or bioregions or of species for which there are only a handful of records.

Our knowledge of where weeds are and how rapidly they are spreading is extremely flimsy in north Queensland and probably not much better in densely populated regions.

The encouragement of landholders and enthusiasts to spot weeds is just one invaluable aspect of the weeds CRC.

It would be a crying shame indeed if it was to fold.

We should be heading towards a more socialistic democracy, with a more community-minded government that is willing to drive CRCs and the like and not palm utilities and R&D off to private enterprise or to institutions that have to bend over backwards to secure funding.

Our current economic boom should be directly fuelling this sort of research and action towards environmental remediation and overall sustainability. Instead, we are seeing it go to private enterprise, which is highly compromised by the profit motive.

The momentum towards a more damaged environment and agricultural sector, and directly away from sustainability, continues.
Posted by Ludwig, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 1:24:00 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
While I sympathize with the author about the cut backs in research and wholeheartedly support more research, part of the problem has been in inadequate implementation of weed control measures.

In southern NSW, the biggest problem is with serrated tussock which I see now as being out of control. Twenty or so years ago it could have been eradicated, as individual landowners have proved. But lack of proper stratigies by local councils, mainly on local political lines, made eradication null and void. In some cases, where councils did get tough, the courts failed dismally to back them up with proper penalties. both courts and councils should have been more concerned about the landowners that did proper control work than those that did little or nothing.

I could cry tears of blod to see good basalt country heavily infested with tussock. But nothing will change.

No doubt some farmers are shockingly lax. After the 79 to 84 drought here, there should not have been a sheep with footrot left, but there were. When cutting back on stock numbers, footrot sheep should go first, direct to abbitiors. When the present drought ends, I bet there will still be footrot sheep around.

Same with weed control. How anyone can afford to let their weeds get such a hold on their property is beyond me.
Posted by Banjo, Thursday, 19 April 2007 11:26:30 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
The most environmentally costly, but least recognized weed, is the Domus Ager

It is spreading more rapidly than prickly pear .
It has less redeeming features than lantana .
And is more voracious than mimosa

This insidious weed sprouts on the best soils & most scenic locations.It has despoiled some of our best agricultural & bush lands

It tends to grow in long corridors next to roads . Sometimes it forms clusters on high pieces of land or around beaches & rivers . Some authorities believe local councils have played an active role in its spread .

This plant typically has a clump which covers an area of approx. 2 –2.5 ha .On taking root it quickly devastates native flora , though sometimes, bastardized remnants survive in immediate surrounds .Natural drainage systems in the vicinity are inevitably degraded. Soils contaminated. While native fauna is killed, or driven off, by exotic animals which tend to live under the weeds shelter.

Its only natural predicators are termites but the weed has now evolved strategies to stifle their predation

The only effective means of eradication seems to be to bulldoze or burn the clumps –but such activities are frowned –on by the police.
Posted by Horus, Thursday, 19 April 2007 8:20:02 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy