Weeds are defined as “the wrong plant in the wrong place”; here is a formula for commencing to tackle a weed issue., and as a basis for a Weed Management Plan.
Select an area of land that interests you and where you have unrestricted access. This may be your farm, if you are a farmer, or it may be a local park or waterway or beach.
1. Consider the location, type, severity of weeds on this land. Make a sketch map showing where the weed infestations are located.
2. Consider how you can protect your land against further infestations of weeds from neighbouring properties. Write down this information in a Weed Management Plan, taking into account the following:
- If you are going to spray the weeds, consider the timing of spraying to obtain maximum results and minimise offsite impacts.
- List your choice of spray in relation to nearby susceptible crops.
- Consider whether you can also improve your pastures as part of overall weed management.
- Consider how you could work in your timing of control techniques with a pasture improvement strategy.
- Consider if any erosion would occur as a result of your weed management.
- Identify the weeds correctly and plan to remove new infestations first.
- Plan for follow-up spraying in subsequent years.
Other issues that you should consider (and write down in your Weed Management Plan) are:
- Check on who is responsible for public areas like road reserves and put in place a procedure to notify them of any weed infestations that may affect your land.
- Consider the effects of your weed management on fauna and native flora. You may need to alter your methods in wildlife habitat areas.
- Consider the conditions that favour weed infestation (such as disturbance, drought, overgrazing and lack of competition) and take action to avoid them.
- Consider how new weeds arrive on your land, for instance on new stock or imported feed and provide holding areas for these weed sources
Weeds are a normal risk of farming and occur because we try and force monocultures onto nature’s natural diversity. The above considerations can form the framework of a Weed Management Plan for your property.
