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WA’s summer skeleton weed program makes progress

Grain Central January 29, 2025

WA growers are asked to report skeleton weed so emerging infestations can be controlled before they spread. Photo: WA DPIRD

THE 2024-25 summer campaign targeting skeleton weed is making headway across the Western Australian grainbelt, with farmers reminded to keep up paddock searches for the pest plant.

The Skeleton Weed Program’s annual campaign has been targeting known areas of infestation and is now extending surveillance into areas where skeleton weed is not recorded, with the aim of finding emerging infestation areas before they can establish.

Skeleton weed is a declared pest in WA, competing with crops and pastures for nitrogen and soil moisture.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development operations manager Paul Manera said surveillance would cover more than 42,000ha this season, with drones playing an increasingly important role.

“We have good systems for collecting quality images using drone technology and we are continuing to develop the image recognition program which allows us to quickly and easily analyse the drone images and identify potential skeleton weed plants for follow up on ground verification,” Mr Manera said.

“To date, the summer searching program has been going well and much of the scheduled searching has been done.

“It is important that landholders continue to monitor searched paddocks and treat any emerging plants, particularly if we get summer rains.”

Skeleton weed has upright and usually leafless stems, which give the appearance of the skeleton of a plant.

It is most recognisable for its bright yellow daisy flowers when flowering during summer and autumn.

Drones are playing an increasingly important role in skeleton weed surveillance across the
WA grainbelt. Photo: WA DPIRD

The Skeleton Weed Program’s activities are funded by growers through the Grains, Seeds and Hay Industry Funding Scheme.

Activities include herbicide trials, precision mapping, and historical data analysis to stem the spread of the weed, as well as a number of research projects.

Funds are also directed to research investments to help reduce overall skeleton weed infestations, including pollen monitoring and an initiative examining biocontrol options.

More information is available from the DPIRD website.

Suspect skeleton weed plants should be reported to DPIRD using the MyPestGuide Reporter app or the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 08 9368 3080 or [email protected].

Source: WA DPIRD

 

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