Now is the time to check your property for the noxious weed – serrated tussock – Nassella trichotoma.
The recent rains and warm start to spring in some parts of Victoria have been good for pastures and crops, but also for the growth of serrated tussock.
Controlling serrated tussock before the plant goes to seed is critical to prevent further spread, lost productivity and more work to control it.
Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party (VSTWP) chairman Lance Jennison said, “before seeding, serrated tussock has a lime green appearance; when seeding, the flowerheads have a distinctive purple colour developing as the seeds ripen in late spring and early summer”.
“These features help serrated tussock stand out from the native tussock grasses,” Mr Jennison said.
“Serrated tussock has a fine leaf and will roll smoothly between the index finger and thumb, while native tussocks feel as though they have flat edges.
“The leaves also feel rough when you run your fingers downwards due to fine serrations.
“A mature serrated tussock plant can produce thousands of seeds in a season, blowing up to 20 kilometres from the parent plant.”
Serrated tussock can be controlled with a registered herbicide, manual removal or cultivation before the plant flowers and seeds.
“Having a healthy pasture and competitive ground cover is one of the most important aspects to weed management,” Mr Jennison said.
“Serrated tussock is a prime example of a weed that does not like competition and well-established pastures.”
It’s estimated that serrated tussock now covers more than 250,000 hectares of land in Victoria.
Treating plants before seeding is vital to prevent further spread across Victoria.
The VSTWP recently commissioned case studies about the economic costs of not treating serrated tussock, which concluded that if serrated tussock is left to infest a property or landscape, the cost of controlling it will be at least five times more than if it was prevented in the first instance.
For more information, visit www.serratedtussock.com, or email the VSTWP at info@serratedtussock.com.
