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Weed Management in Rangeland Environments

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 30625

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shane Campbell

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Guest Editor

School of Agriculture and Food Science, the University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia
Interests: invasive weeds and pasture management

Dr. Tony Grice

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Guest Editor

James Cook University, Douglas, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
Interests: ecology and management of plant invasions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many unique and extensive ecosystems throughout the world are classified as rangelands and, collectively, they cover much of the Earth’s land area. Examples include grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, savannas, and deserts, but there are many others. Large areas have traditionally been used for low-intensity livestock production, providing livelihoods for many millions of people. They also provide valuable ecosystem functions and are rich in biological diversity. Weeds are a major threat to the economic, social, and environmental values of these often sensitive systems, but reducing their impacts is challenging due to some inherent characteristics of rangelands. In particular, there is generally a low human population to respond to issues such as weeds, and those that are there have large areas to manage, often with limited resources. The value of the land on a per-unit-area basis is also often low, making it difficult to find cost-effective control options. This Special Issue of Plants aims to capture some of the challenges associated with the management of weeds in rangeland environments and explore the innovative ways being applied to minimize their economic and environmental impacts. While it is recognized that both native and exotic plants can be problematic in rangeland systems, this Special Issue will focus mainly on exotic species. Articles covering the following areas will be considered:

Causes and driving forces behind weed invasions in rangelands.
Policies and strategies to more effectively manage rangeland weeds.
Prioritizing activities to most effectively utilize limited resources.
Existing and new challenges impacting weed management in rangelands (e.g., climate change, contentious weeds).
New technologies to control problematic species.
Innovative new approaches to strategically manage high-priority weed species at different jurisdictional levels (e.g., local, regional, national).

Reviews, Original Research, Methods, Perspectives, and Opinion Articles are all welcome for submission.

Dr. Shane Campbell
Dr. Tony Grice
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

biodiversity
control
exotic
impacts
invasive
species

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4808 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Encapsulated Herbicide Delivery Mechanism: Its Efficacy in Mimosa Bush (Vachellia farnesiana) Control

by Amelia A. Limbongan, Shane D. Campbell and Victor J. Galea

Plants 2021, 10(11), 2505; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112505 - 18 Nov 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2690

Abstract

Mimosa bush (Vachellia farnesiana) is an invasive woody weed widely distributed in Australia. While it can be controlled using several mechanical and chemical techniques, this study evaluated a novel herbicide delivery mechanism that minimizes the risk of spray drift and potential non-target damage. This method, developed by Bioherbicides Australia, involves the implantation of encapsulated granular herbicides into the stem of intact plants or into the stump after cutting off plants close to ground level (cut stumps). Trials were implemented near Moree (New South Wales, Australia) on intact (two experimental runs) plants and cut stumped (two experimental runs) plants. For each trial, an untreated control plus the conventional basal bark application of a liquid formulation of triclopyr + picloram mixed with diesel was included for comparison. Encapsulated glyphosate, aminopyralid + metsulfuron-methyl, hexazinone and clopyralid were also tested in all trials. In addition, encapsulated triclopyr + picloram, and metsulfuron-methyl were included in one of the intact plant trials. Aminopyralid + metsulfuron-methyl was consistently most effective on cut stump and intact plants, whilst clopyralid provided highest mortality when applied to cut stumps and single-stemmed intact plants. Particularly for multi-stemmed intact plants, clopyralid should be applied to each stem. Overall, the highest efficacy was achieved on single stemmed plants, but with further refinement of the technique, it should be possible to achieve similar results for multi-stemmed individuals. This method resulted in a reduction in the use of herbicide and environmental contamination while significantly improving speed of treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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16 pages, 1241 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Herbicide Options to Control Naturalised Infestations of Cereus uruguayanus in Rangeland Environments of Australia

by Shane Campbell, Ali Bajwa, Kelsey Hosking, Dannielle Brazier, Vincent Mellor and Melinda Perkins

Plants 2021, 10(10), 2227; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102227 - 19 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1815

Abstract

While there are many high profile Opuntioid cactus species invading rangeland environments in Australia, Cereus uruguayanus Ritt. ex Kiesl. has also naturalised and formed large and dense infestations at several locations. With no herbicides registered for control of C. uruguayanus in Australia, the primary aim of this study was to identify effective herbicides to control it using a range of techniques. This involved a large screening trial of twelve herbicides and four techniques, followed by a rate refinement trial for cut stump applications and another to test residual herbicides. Despite most treatments (except monosodium methylarsonate (MSMA)) taking a long time to kill plants, at least one effective herbicide was identified for basal bark (triclopyr/picloram), cut stump (aminopyralid/metsulfuron-methyl, glyphosate, metsulfuron-methyl, triclopyr/picloram, triclopyr/picloram/aminopyralid), stem injection (glyphosate, MSMA, triclopyr/picloram/aminopyralid) and foliar applications (aminopyralid/metsulfuron-methyl, MSMA, triclopyr, triclopyr/picloram/aminopyralid) due to their ability to kill both small and large plants. Ground application of residual herbicides was less conclusive with neither hexazinone nor tebuthiuron causing adequate mortality at the rates applied. This study has identified effective herbicides for the control of C. uruguayanus using several techniques, but further research is needed to refine herbicide rates and develop integrated management strategies for a range of situations and infestation sizes and densities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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18 pages, 48712 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Robotic Spot Spraying of Harrisia Cactus (Harrisia martinii) in Grazing Pastures of the Australian Rangelands

by Brendan Calvert, Alex Olsen, James Whinney and Mostafa Rahimi Azghadi

Plants 2021, 10(10), 2054; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102054 - 29 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2652

Abstract

Harrisia cactus, Harrisia martinii, is a serious weed affecting hundreds of thousands of hectares of native pasture in the Australian rangelands. Despite the landmark success of past biological control agents for the invasive weed and significant investment in its eradication by the Queensland Government (roughly $156M since 1960), it still takes hold in the cooler rangeland environments of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. In the past decade, landholders with large infestations in these locations have spent approximately $20,000 to $30,000 per annum on herbicide control measures to reduce the impact of the weed on their grazing operations. Current chemical control requires manual hand spot spraying with high quantities of herbicide for foliar application. These methods are labour intensive and costly, and in some cases inhibit landholders from performing control at all. Robotic spot spraying offers a potential solution to these issues, but existing solutions are not suitable for the rangeland environment. This work presents the methods and results of an in situ field trial of a novel robotic spot spraying solution, AutoWeed, for treating harrisia cactus that (1) more than halves the operation time, (2) can reduce herbicide usage by up to 54% and (3) can reduce the cost of herbicide by up to $18.15 per ha compared to the existing hand spraying approach. The AutoWeed spot spraying system used the MobileNetV2 deep learning architecture to perform real time spot spraying of harrisia cactus with 97.2% average recall accuracy and weed knockdown efficacy of up to 96%. Experimental trials showed that the AutoWeed spot sprayer achieved the same level of knockdown of harrisia cactus as traditional hand spraying in low, medium and high density infestations. This work represents a significant step forward for spot spraying of weeds in the Australian rangelands that will reduce labour and herbicide costs for landholders as the technology sees more uptake in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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18 pages, 8016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Stem Implanted Bioherbicide Capsules to Manage an Infestation of Parkinsonia aculeata in Northern Australia

by Victor J. Galea

Plants 2021, 10(9), 1909; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091909 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2412

Abstract

An infestation of parkinsonia (Parkinsonia aculeata) located on Alexandria Station, Northern Territory, Australia, was successfully treated with a bioherbicide using stem-implanted capsules. The bioherbicide (Di-Bak Parkinsonia^®), containing three endemic endophytic fungi (Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, Macrophomina phaseolina and Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae), is the first Australian registered woody weed bioherbicide. The product was effectively administered to the plant stems using a mechanical device, resulting in the subsequent development of a dieback event. After a period of establishment, it progressed through an adjacent untreated population, resulting in a significant decline in infestation vigour and preventing recruitment from the seedbank. This is the first report of large-scale management of parkinsonia by this method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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13 pages, 2406 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Native Eragrostis curvula Impacts Diversity of Pastures in South-Eastern Australia Even When Native Themeda triandra Remains Co-Dominant

by Corinne Schlierenzauer, Anita C. Risch, Martin Schütz and Jennifer Firn

Plants 2021, 10(3), 596; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030596 - 22 Mar 2021

Viewed by 2758

Abstract

Lowland grassy woodlands in Australia’s south-east face reductions in native plant diversity because of invasion by non-native plants. We compared the relative abundance and diversity of plant species among sites dominated by the native Kangaroo grass (KG) Themeda triandra with sites co-dominated by the non-native African lovegrass (ALG) Eragrostis curvula and KG. We found significant differences in plant species composition depending on the dominant species. Furthermore, our results revealed differences in several diversity parameters such as a lower species richness and forb diversity on sites co-dominated by ALG and KG. This was the case despite the functional similarity of both ALG and KG—both C₄ perennial tussock grasses of a similar height. Therefore, our results highlight the critical function of the native KG in maintaining and enhancing the target plant species composition and diversity within these grassy woodlands. Herbivore grazing potentially impacts on the abundance of the dominant grass and forb species in various ways, but its impact likely differs depending on their evolutionary origin. Therefore, disentangling the role of individual herbivore groups (native-, non-native mammals, and invertebrates) on the plant community composition of the lowland grassy woodlands is essential to find appropriate grazing regimes for ALG management in these ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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18 pages, 1759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Managing an Invasive Weed Species, Parthenium hysterophorus, with Suppressive Plant Species in Australian Grasslands

by Amalia Belgeri, Ali Ahsan Bajwa, Asad Shabbir, Sheldon Navie, Gabrielle Vivian-Smith and Steve Adkins

Plants 2020, 9(11), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111587 - 16 Nov 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2733

Abstract

Parthenium weed has been invading native and managed Australian grasslands for almost 40 years. This study quantified the potential of selected plant mixtures to suppress the growth of parthenium weed and followed their response to grazing and their impact upon plant community diversity. The first mixture consisted of predominantly introduced species including Rhodes grass, Bisset bluegrass, butterfly pea and green panic. This mixture produced biomass rapidly and showed tolerance to weed species other than parthenium weed. However, the mixture was unable to suppress the growth of parthenium weed. The second mixture of predominantly native pasture species (including forest bluegrass, Queensland bluegrass, Buffel grass and siratro) produced biomass relatively slowly, but eventually reached the same biomass production as the first mixture 12 weeks after planting. This mixture suppressed parthenium weed re-establishment by 78% compared to the control treatment. Its tolerance to the invasion of other weed species and the maintenance of forage species evenness was also superior. The total diversity was five times higher for the mixture communities as compared to the plant community in the control treatment. Therefore, using the suppressive pasture mixtures may provide an improved sustainable management approach for parthenium weed in grasslands. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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Review

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15 pages, 1261 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biology, Ecology, Distribution and Control of the Invasive Weed, Lactuca serriola L. (Wild Lettuce): A Global Review

by Aakansha Chadha and Singarayer Florentine

Plants 2021, 10(10), 2157; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10102157 - 11 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3663

Abstract

Lactuca serriola L. (wild lettuce) is a highly invasive C₃ weed in many countries, including Australia, Canada, and the USA. This weed is a severe threat to agricultural systems, especially in crops grown with reduced or no-tillage approaches, which commonly include wheat, cereals and pulses. Owing to the vertical orientation of its leaves in the north-south plane and its root architecture, L. serriola can maintain high water use efficiency under drought conditions, giving it the ability to expand its range under a drying climate. Each plant can produce up to 100,000 seeds which have no primary dormancy and form a short-term seedbank lasting up to three years. Most seedlings emerge in autumn and overwinter as a rosette, with a small flush of emergence in spring depicting staggered germination. Research into control methods for this weed has been performed, and these methods include chemical herbicides applied alone and in combination, the establishment of plant competition, tillage, mowing and bioherbicide. Herbicides can provide effective control when applied in the seedling or rosette stage; however, spring germination is difficult to control, as it skips the rosette stage. Some biotypes are now resistant to ALS inhibitor and synthetic auxins, causing concern regarding using herbicides. A dedicated integrated management plan for 3–4 years is recommended for the control of this troublesome species. This review will explore the biology, ecology, distribution, current control techniques and previous research on this weed, allowing us to make recommendations for its future research and management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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16 pages, 3689 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biology, Ecology and Management of the Invasive Navua Sedge (Cyperus aromaticus)—A Global Review

by Boyang Shi, Olusegun O. Osunkoya, Aakansha Chadha, Singarayer K. Florentine and Kunjithapatham Dhileepan

Plants 2021, 10(9), 1851; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091851 - 7 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3888

Abstract

Navua sedge (Cyperus aromaticus (Ridley) Mattf. & Kukenth) is an invasive perennial sedge, native to tropical Africa, which is threatening many natural ecosystems and agroecosystems, especially in northern Queensland, Australia. Crop and pasture production have been impacted by Navua sedge and it is also directly causing reductions in dairy and beef production in affected regions. This review documents the biology, ecology and potential management options to minimise the spread and impact of Navua sedge. The weed reproduces both sexually (seeds) and vegetatively (via underground rhizomes). Its tiny seeds can be spread easily via wind, water, vehicles, farm machinery and animals, whilst the rhizomes assist with establishment of dense stands. The CLIMEX model (which uses distribution and climate data in native and novel ranges) indicates that in Australia, Navua sedge has the potential to spread further within Queensland and into the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Several management strategies, including mechanical, chemical and agronomic methods, and their integration will have to be used to minimise agricultural production losses caused by Navua sedge, but most of these methods are currently either ineffective or uneconomical when used alone. Other management approaches, including biological control and mycoherbicides, are currently being explored. We conclude that a better understanding of the interaction of its physiological processes, ecological patterns and genetic diversity across a range of conditions found in the invaded and native habitats will help to contribute to and provide more effective integrated management approaches for Navua sedge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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17 pages, 292 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comparative Review of Six Invasive Nassella Species in Australia with Implications for Their Management

by Talia Humphries and Singarayer K. Florentine

Plants 2021, 10(6), 1036; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061036 - 21 May 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2302

Abstract

Two Nassella species, Nassella trichotoma and Nassella neesiana, have significantly reduced the carrying capacity of Australia’s south-east rangelands and agricultural systems. It is, therefore, of considerable concern that four other Nassella species have also become naturalised in Australia, and are noted to share many of the ecological features of the two currently widespread species. This paper reviews the distribution, ecology, and impacts of all six Nassella species, which are currently naturalised in Australia, and makes recommendations toward a blanket Nassella control program. The review highlights observed similarities between the species, including the time of flowering, seed type, germination requirements, and growth morphology. These common factors support the possibility that an integrated Nassella control program could be designed to integrate good grazing management with cultural control methods, such as soil cultivation, fire, and native plant competition, with treatments being implemented prior to the common annual seed maturation period. Notwithstanding the success of these integrated programs, it is recognised that seeds of all species may remain viable in the seedbank for up to 12 years, meaning ongoing monitoring and management will be required. To develop even finer control programs, further research into the ecology of these Nassella species is recommended to determine any additional weak spots in these species’ defences, and to subsequently develop and apply novel integrated control methods that target all six species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

14 pages, 3620 KiB

Open AccessReview

Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion in the Northern Great Plains and Prospective Management Approaches to Mitigate Its Spread

by Rakhi Palit, Greta Gramig and Edward S. DeKeyser

Plants 2021, 10(4), 817; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10040817 - 20 Apr 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4118

Abstract

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is one of the most aggressive grasses invading Northern Great Plains (NGP) grasslands, resulting in substantial native species losses. Highly diverse grasslands dominated by native species are gradually transforming into rangelands largely dominated by non-native Kentucky bluegrass. Several factors potentially associated with Kentucky bluegrass invasions, including high propagule pressure, thatch formation, climate change, and increasing nitrogen deposition, could determine the future dominance and spread of Kentucky bluegrass in the NGP. Because atmospheric CO₂ is amplifying rapidly, a C3 grass like Kentucky bluegrass might be photosynthetically more efficient than native C4 grasses. As this exotic species shares similar morphological and phenological traits with many native cool-season grasses, controlling it with traditional management practices such as prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, or combinations of these practices may also impair the growth of native species. Thus, developing effective management practices to combat Kentucky bluegrass spread while facilitating the native species cover is essential. Modifying traditional techniques and embracing science-based adaptive management tools that focus on the ecological interactions of Kentucky bluegrass with the surrounding native species could achieve these desired management goals. Enhancement of the competitiveness of surrounding native species could also be an important consideration for controlling this invasive species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Weed Management in Rangeland Environments)

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