Graziers are being urged to be vigilant for weeds where fodder has been fed out.
Speaking at the Dust off the Drought event in Chillagoe, AgForce general policy officer Marie Vitelli said fodder brought into drought declared areas could unintentionally result in new weed incursions.
She said problems arise in long drought periods where the origins of the fodder are unknown.
“Now when we start to see rain starting there may be extension of those weeds that was sent with the fodder mistakenly or unintentionally, and new weeds occurring in places never occurred before,” Ms Vitelli said.
“When drought swings around weeds come to the fore, often in bare ground where not much pasture is left and weeds have the almighty gift of being able to pop up and come away in drought breaking rain starts.”
Ms Vitelli said graziers should know where fodder was fed out and be aware of potential drought fodder weeds.
“If you don’t know, seek help from your local networks,” Ms Vitelli said.
“There are ways to help with weed identification such as the Queensland Herbarium.”
Ms Vitelli, who took the event’s participants through how to prepare a specimen for identification, said giant’s rats tail grass was a major concern in the far north.
“It can live anywhere with 500mm of rainfall, so can potentially infect 60 per cent of Queensland,” Ms Vitelli said.
“We have properties that are losing 50 to 60 pc of their carrying capacity and we have some properties losing 50 to 60 pc of their property valuations as a result.”
