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Invasive weed giant Parthenium hysterophorus found in Kimberley, Western Australia

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Western Australia
April 15, 2008

One of the worst environmental weeds in Australia, not seen before in Western Australia, has been stopped in its tracks and controlled in the Kimberley by Department of Agriculture and Food Biosecurity officers.

Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) can grow up to two metres high and produce up to 100,000 seeds per plant. It costs Queensland more than $22 million a year in reduced production and increased management costs.

The Kimberley manager for the Department of Agriculture and Food Noel Wilson said parthenium plants had been discovered growing by a quarantine washdown bay in Kununurra during routine surveillance carried out in this area.

 



“Our washdown bays are there to minimise the chance of weed seeds entering Western Australia that could threaten our agricultural and pastoral industries,” Mr Wilson said.

“The seeds of this weed have been captured in a washdown of a vehicle coming across the border, and they germinated within our quarantine facility,” Mr Wilson said.

“It is a real win for DAFWA’s biosecurity efforts, and it indicates the important role washdown facilities play in protecting Western Australia’s agricultural and pastoral industries,” he said.

Parthenium weed affects the viability of primary production including live stock and grain enterprises. It can also cause health problems for humans and animals.

“It is toxic to stock, and people can have allergic reactions to its pollen, causing dermatitis, hay fever and asthma,” Mr Wilson said.

“It is a particularly bad environmental weed and its seeds adapt very well to semi-arid environments such as the Kimberley environment. The seeds can germinate, grow, mature and set in four weeks,” he said.

“Once this type of invasive weed establishes, it is very hard to control its spread. Without our biosecurity efforts, these parthenium seeds could have spread further afield to where-ever the vehicles were going,” Mr Wilson said.

Parthenium is a registered as one of the twenty Weeds of National Significance because of its invasive nature, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts.

The weed is native to the subtropics of North and South America. Its leaves are pale green, branched and covered with soft fine hairs.

It has small white flowers with five distinct corners. Each flower produces several black wedge-shaped seeds that are 2mm long with thin white scales.

“DAFWA urges local residents and travelers in the Kimberley to pay close attention to property and vehicle hygiene (photo). The seeds of invasive weeds can spread very easily by vehicles, machinery, stock, grain and fodder,” Mr Wilson said.

Further information about Parthenium weed is available from DAFWA offices in
 the Kimberley or by calling 1800 084 881.

Information on all Weeds of National Significance and on the Alert List species is available at http://www.weeds.crc.org.au/publications/weed_man_guides.html

 

 

 

 

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