Holistic approach to managing priority weeds

THIS three-year project will develop five demonstration properties within the BBB catchment to trial and promote holistic approaches to the management of priority weeds.

It will also adopt neighbour-friendly collaborative weed management practices, and share information with the broader community.

The properties will tackle the weeds of most importance to their area, for example, rubbervine, chinee apple, prickly acacia, with the aim to: 

• demonstrate the application of a cooperative approach to on-farm biosecurity;
• apply current and emerging technologies; and
• implement grazing best practices for inhibiting weed germination and establishment.

The project will seek expertise from scientists, technical specialists and other graziers to develop weed plans for the particular priority weed being tackled.

Project participants will:

• trial an integrated and co-operative approach to weed management;
• contribute $8000 in cash per annum for the development and implementation of a weed management plan for the property’s priority weed over three years;
• undertake monitoring and evaluation,  and training and technical support, if required; and
• host field days and other events to highlight the outcomes to the beef industry, and the broader community including land managers of solar, mines and linear infrastructure – because biosecurity is everyone’s business.

LDC has been successful in securing funding from MLA to establish two Producer Demonstration Sites (PDS). 

MLA partners with producer groups to achieve improved business productivity and profitability outcomes. 

 The MLA PDS program supports groups of livestock producers to adapt, validate and demonstrate the business value of integrating new management practices and associated skills into local farming systems.  

The key outcome of a PDS is producer adoption of the demonstrated management practices resulting in improved business performance.

The LDC project’s two PDS will focus on:

• regenerative grazing practices (a five year project) and;
• an integrated approach to weed control (a three year project). 

MLA, with support from LDC, will provide the producer-led demonstration sites with facilitation and extension, monitoring and evaluation of on-farm practice change, and communication and reporting, to oversee the demonstration.

Click here for information on the regenerative grazing practices PDS.