Primary producers are being encouraged to monitor paddocks and roadsides for Silverleaf Nightshade, a declared pest plant.
The plant can reduce crop yields by up to 70 per cent, with Northern and Yorke Landscape Board officer Jessica Cavallo saying the plant can be very difficult to eradicate, if it becomes established.
"Silverleaf Nightshade is a weed that deprives crops and pastures of valuable nutrients and moisture throughout the Northern and Yorke region," she said.
"Each plant has a root system that's about the size of a small car and there are no suitable herbicide treatments to control dense infestations quickly."
With recent November rains signalling the start of the Silverleaf Nightshade growing season, NYLB is set to host a webinar with advice for controlling the weed.
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"Silverleaf Nightshade's growing season coincides with one of the busiest times of the year for many farmers, so we hope this online format, which will be recorded for later viewing, will make this important information accessible to all," Mrs Cavallo said.
The 40-minute webinar will commence at 7pm on December 8, and aims to give farmers advice on control methods, and accurate identification. A Q&A session will also run.
Webinar speakers will include agronomist Chris Butler, and Silverleaf Nightshade expert Dr Hanwen Wu, a principal research scientist in the Weed Research Unit of NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Attendees are invited to email photos of suspected Silverleaf Nightshade prior to the webinar, for identification clarification. Photos can be emailed to jessica.cavallo@sa.gov.au
Click here to register for the webinar.
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