an update in the fight against wandering trad

My thanks to Bill Incoll (Friends of Sherbrooke Forest) for providing this update, Bill has been tireless in his pursuit to rid the Dandenongs of Wandering Trad - Tradescantia fluminensis. Thanks also to Glenn Brooks-McMillan (Community Weed Action of the Dandenongs) and Anne Fitzpatrick (Yarra Ranges Landcare Network) who had a hand in preparing this summary update.

Regular readers of my blog will recall an earlier article detailing the call for research into a biological control for this weed nasty, ranked 10 in Yarra Ranges.

Wandering Trad forms a smothering carpet, it displaces
indigenous ground covers, herbs, grasses and orchids.
It is a common cause of rashes in dogs and is toxic
to cattle.

Funding has been found to start the battle with Tradescantia fluminensis (Wandering Trad). A recent Research Update provided by the Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI) and CSIRO has provided the following news.

An application to the Australian Weeds Committee to have Wandering Trad (Trad) a target for biological control has been prepared and is being considered by the Committee.

While the application is being approved, testing of biological control agents can begin, provided this is done under safe quarantine conditions. Two agents, an insect and a fungal pathogen, are being imported from New Zealand. The fungal pathogen has already been imported and is currently in the quarantine facility with CSIRO in Canberra.

The insect, Lema basicostata, attacks the stem of the plant and greatly reduces the biomass of the plant. It has already been released in New Zealand and is successfully attacking Trad in the wild. It spreads by natural increase and will reduce the volume of weed until a natural balance is achieved that maintains a population of insects and a low biomass of Trad.
 

The fungus, Kordyana sp, (Brazilian yellow leaf spot fungus) attacks the leaves. The spores are spread by wind, much more quickly than the insect. This agent also has the potential to reduce Trad biomass to a low level.

The biocontrols will be tested on Australian native plant species likely to be affected, under strict quarantine conditions. DEPI will work on the insect, and CSIRO the fungus.

The first year of a three year program has been funded from State and Federal sources. Further funding must be found for two more years, leading to the safe release of up to four biocontrol agents.

In addition to the biological control program, Federal funding has been found to combat the spread and impact of Trad while the biological control program is carried out safely. These efforts will be concentrated where Trad is likely to affect rare or endangered species or communities in the Dandenong Ranges, on both private and public land.

It's great news and good to receive progress updates, it's a terrible weed which smothers everything else in its path and sadly is commonly found throughout the Dandenongs, especially along our waterways.

biocontrols for wandering trad?

My congratulations go to Bill Incoll, member of Friends of Sherbrooke Forest and organiser of a recent meeting to discuss biological controls for Wandering Trad, ranked 10th worst weed in Yarra Ranges.

The meeting was well attended with over 90 people who’d come to learn more about the potential for biological controls from David McLaren at DEPI.

David talked through the initial process required to have Wandering Trad declared as a target for a biological control program and how DEPI is working with Melbourne Water on this.

He went on to explain the testing and monitoring process in great detail and how the community can be involved in the process.

These creek banks are smothered in Wandering Trad,
it invades damp, wet and shaded areas and is widespread
along creeks and waterways.

New Zealand have spent between $1.5million and $2million on biocontrols for this weed as it is a serious issue there, fortunately for Australia we can benefit from their research.  

New Zealand have determined that three beetles and a pathogen (Yellow Spot Fungus) will be most beneficial as a biocontrol program, but of course rigorous testing on Australian flora will need to be conducted before we know what are the best solutions here.

Current removal of this weed is very labour intensive and given its location on the banks of many waterways means that spraying is very problematic and expensive. To safely remove Wandering Trad at the moment costs $20,000 per kilometre of creek bank and with 50km’s of streams in the Dandenongs this would equate to $1million.

The costs to see the research and implementation of a biological control for Wandering Trad is in the order of $400,000 to $450,000. 

Federal member for Latrobe, Jason Wood, has committed to funding for the removal of Wandering Trad, let’s make sure he comes good on his election commitment and puts the money into determining if a biological control solution is possible to get rid of this weed nastie. I look forward to seeing funding listed in the upcoming federal budget.

wacky weed month is here

Wacky Weed month has kicked off and is a month of weed awareness raising activities, including the Longest Ivy Plait competition.  

The Longest Ivy Plait competition aims to educate schools, community groups and residents on the damage that Ivy does and just how widespread it is in the Yarra Ranges.

Prize money on offer for the longest Community Group Entry will be $500, School Entry $300 and Individual Entry $200

Ivy is a highly invasive and aggressive
weed in the Dandenongs, if left to climb
up trees it's sheer weight can topple them.
You can read more about ivy here.

The challenge will be to remove large intact ivy strands and plait three together. The strands may be joined to made them longer however only by using ivy to bind them. Judging will occur on the 6th December for schools and on the 8th December for Community Groups and Individuals from 10am – 12pm, Hayes Carpark, Burwood Highway, Belgrave

The first 50 entries to arrive on the day will receive a coffee voucher for a local Belgrave Café.  All children attending on the day will receive a token gift and free face painting will be available. Ivy Plaits will be hung from the footpath fence along Belgrave Main Street for passing traffic to awe at the volume.

More events planned for Wacky Wipe Out Weeds Month include:

Saturday 16^th Nov 9am-3pm  - Weed Blitz – Free environmental weed tipping day (skips at Kallista Community House)

Saturday 23^rd Nov 3pm – 8pm - Upwey Grassroots Market - Ruccus junior circus troope performing 'weeds'

Sunday 1^st Dec 10:30 to 2pm - Landcare for Singles - Do you plant here often? at Birdsland

Saturday 7th December - Kallista Market – Southern Dandenong Landcare  Group weed info display and guest appearance from “The Connies”

Saturday 8th December - the ivy plait competition (see above for more info)

Look out for static weed information displays at our Community Links, Libraries and Community Houses in the Dandenongs.

Wandering Trad, another weed nasty, was the weed
of choice at our last Kallista Weed Blitz event.
It's ranked number 10 in terms of worst weed in
Yarra Ranges, you can find out more about it here.

Wacky Weed month is sponsored and supported by the Urban Fringe Weed Management Initiative – Dandenong Ranges, Yarra Ranges Council and the Community Weed Alliance of the Dandenongs as well as our marvelous and dedicated network of environmental volunteers.

biological control for wandering trad?

Yarra Ranges Council has supported Monbulk Landcare and other environment groups in their  call for the development of a biological control to assist in the management of Wandering Trad (Tradescantia Fluminensis).

A recent weedblitz saw enormous amounts of Wandering Trad
removed from our environment, but it's ongoing control is very challenging.

Wandering Trad is one of Yarra Ranges weed nasties and voraciously infests many of our natural waterways having a detrimental effect on biodiversity and waterway health.

Wandering Trad is ranked number 10 of worst weeds threatening biodiversity in Yarra Ranges and council spends much time assisting with its removal and control. Our Landcare and Friends of Groups also spend an enormous amount of time trying to control this week. Weather conditions of recent times have seen an explosion in the amount of Wandering Trad and its spread.

Wandering Trad very effectively smothers all other ground cover plants until it becomes the dominant species. It's very effective at spreading itself as small parts of the plant break off and produce new plants, particularly around natural waterways and drains.

It's removal is problematic, the more cost effective and safer alternatives to chemical treatments, like slashing, mulching and hand removal are not effective as control measures. Chemical treatments are difficult due to the risk to waterways, aquatic and semi-aquatic life forms. 

Given the challenges with this weed, it makes it a good candidate for research into a biological control and it's worth noting that a biological control program has been in progress in New Zealand since 2011. A successful control would save hundreds of thousands of dollars of future investment and deliver far better results for control than current methods, allowing natural biodiversity to recolonise its traditional areas.

Let's hope support of this initiative will see some focus given to the issue, environmental weeds are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity and it's great to see Monbulk Landcare  along with an affiliation of environment groups in the Dandenongs take the lead on the issue.

blitzing weeds this weekend

From left to right: Gavin Prentice - Yarra Ranges
Bushland Coordinator for the Southern Dandenongs,
Cr Samantha Dunn - Lyster Ward and Kym Saunders -
Coordinator of the Urban Fringe Weed Management
Initiative, with a skip brimming with wandering trad.

Well done to the team from the Shire who staffed the weed blitz at Monbulk over the weekend. Through some trying weather conditions, residents were still keen to take up the option to 'skip' their weeds.

It was great to see people bring trailer loads of agapanthus and wandering trad to fill the skips out at the Monbulk Reserve.

The trailer loads of weeds didn't stop coming, this load
from Belgrave full of Agapanthus and Wandering Trad.

Although all environmental weeds were part of the blitz, it seemed that wandering trad and agapathus were the order of the day.

The first skip, brimming with environmental weeds
gets taken away.

It's great to know that there's less environmental weeds in our environment and I congratulate those residents who took up the option to 'skip' on one of our more inclement weather days.

Did you know that council offers tip vouchers as part of our "Weed Wipeout" program? If you'd like to know more visit the Shire's website here.