Monday, July 25, 2011

African lovegrass

No love for African Lovegrass (Erogrostis curvula)

 

African lovegrass, or 'ALG' as it's referred to by those who know it,  is a major weed of grazing land throughout mainland Australia. South Gippsland's not immune to invasion by African lovegrass. There has been a recent report of isolated plants as close as 10km from the South Gippsland Shire boundary; it may very well be within the Shire boundary.  Being a tussock grass, its presence is often overlooked; (unlike weeds with bright purple flowers that are easy to spot) it can also be confused with some other native or introduced grasses. Early detection allows early control. What to look for;

·        Perennial tussock grass (forms as a clump)

·        Grows from 30-70cm high with a diameter of 25-35cm at ground level

·        Begins flowering in spring or early summer with erect, open or compact seed heads that are a lead-grey or grey green colour  (see photo below showing the seed heads)

·        Leaves are blue-green, long and narrow with curly tips

·        Has a ring of hairs below the base of the leaf blade

Whilst is can be confused with some native and introduced species, it is clearly distinct from them;

·        Spear and corkscrew grass (Austrostipa sp.) look similar to African lovegrass in the early vegetative growth but have awns on the seed.

·        Other native and introduced lovegrasses often look similar but have different seed heads.

African lovegrass is a problem in an agricultural situation as readily establishes in overgrazed pastures and only produces a limited quantity of green feed during the spring and summer months. Overall carrying capacity is reduced where infestations are dense. Forage quality declines as the plants mature and also with the commencement of frosts. The amount of green leaf dry matter utilised by the animal is at best 65% in early spring and 50% in early summer. Come winter, the amount utilised by the dead material is only 38%. Crude protein of the dead leaf in winter is only 3.6%.  Minimise the risk of seed entry and establishment on your property by paying attention to likely sources of seed import. The movement of fodder is a main cause of weed seed spread in agriculture. If you're looking to purchase hay or livestock from a known African lovegrass area (check with Bob Wilson, DPI Gippsland Coordinator Pest Management to find out general distribution on T: (03) 56 629 930). Supplementary feeding in a smaller 'sacrifice' paddock is a good precautionary measure followed by monitoring.  Be conscious of livestock movements, seeds take up to 7-10 days to pass through livestock and can still be viable for 10 days, as with the fodder keep livestock in a smaller paddock and monitor.

For further information on the identification of African lovegrass contact Kate Williams, South Gippsland Landcare Project Officer on (03) 5662 5759 or email katew@wgcma.vic.gov.au. To find out the general distribution of African lovegrass in Gippsland contact Bob Wilson, DPI Gippsland Coordinator Pest Management on T: (03) 56 629 930). Information from this article taken from Primefacts, February 2010 Edition via www.industry.nsw.gov.au and African lovegrass, May 2009. 3D weed management, Meat & Livestock Australia, Sydney.

Photos of African lovegrass courtesy of Peter Kershaw, VicRoads Eastern Region 2011.