Serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma)
Serrated tussock covers more than 1 million ha across Australia and costs farmers $40 million annually. The area infested with serrated tussock as 1-10% of the paddock is greater than 2.3 million ha.
Managing serrated tussock is especially difficult in rocky, steep and non-arable land. AWI funded a survey by Sydney University of farmers on their management of serrated tussock. The survey found that maintaining at least 1.5 tonnes of dry matter per hectare of competitive palatable perennial grasses and less than 10 per cent bare ground is the key practice for controlling serrated tussock.
AWI is currently funding a scoping study looking into the effect of the Rockhoppa® cultivator on serrated tussock.
The Rockhoppa® is a disc seeder, which is capable of operating in rocky terrain. The machine mows serrated tussock and sows pasture or crop seed in one pass. The Rockhoppa® has the potential to manage serrated tussock in three ways.
Firstly, farmers who have used the machinery on their land have noticed that when discs cut through a serrated tussock it can kill the plant.
Secondly, the Rockhoppa® can be used to sow competitive pasture species and crops which out-compete serrated tussock seedlings.
Thirdly, the Rockhoppa® is capable of mowing pasture and serrated tussock to produce mulch that may suppress serrated tussock.
Case Studies
AWI and Meat & Livestock Australia are currently developing best management practice guidelines and case studies on managing Serrated tussock.
Return to Pasture weeds.