Buffel Grass Roadside Survey March 2015 Adrian Harvey Biosecurity Consultant WWW.RURALSOLUTIONS.SA.GOV.AU RURAL SOLUTIONS SA ABN 53 763 159 658 Level 16, 25 Grenfell Street, Adelaide SA 5000 GPO Box 1671, Adelaide SA 5001 DX 667 T 08 8463 3335 T 1300 364 322 F 08 84633336 E [email protected] W www.ruralsolutions.sa.gov.au Prepared by: Adrian Harvey Consultant, Rural Solutions SA Office: (08) 8762 1955 Fax No: (08) 8764 7477 Email: [email protected] © Rural Solutions SA 2015 This work is copyright. Unless permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth), no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from Rural Solutions SA. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Brett Bartel, Business Manager, Rural Solutions SA, GPO Box 1671, Adelaide SA 5001. Disclaimer Any advice or information contained in this report has been prepared solely for the use of Biosecurity SA, a division of PIRSA and should not be provided to any other party (in whole or in part) without the prior written consent of Rural Solutions SA. No responsibility to any third party is accepted as the report has not been prepared, and is not intended, for any person other than Biosecurity SA, a division of PIRSA. Rural Solutions SA will not be responsible for the effect upon the accuracy, completeness, currency or reliability of the report of any material or information supplied to Rural Solutions SA by Biosecurity SA, a division of PIRSA or any other party. This project was funded through the Native Vegetation Council’s Significant Environmental Benefit Grants Scheme. PAGE 2 2015, COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE, RURAL SOLUTIONS SA Table of Contents 1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................ 1 2 METHOD .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 2.1 Survey route 1 2.2 Data collection 2 2.3 Survey limitations 5 3 SURVEY SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................ 5 3.1 Survey area 5 3.2 Weather conditions 5 3.3 Specimen collection 6 3.4 Summary of buffel grass occurrences 8 3.4.1 WHITE HORSE PLAINS/ TWO WELLS/MALLALA REGION .................................................................................. 9 3.4.2 PORT WAKEFIELD .......................................................................................................................................... 9 3.4.3 PIMBA TO GLENDAMBO................................................................................................................................... 9 3.4.4 PIMBA/ ROXBY DOWNS/ BOREFIELD RD ......................................................................................................... 9 3.4.5 MARLA TO OODNADATTA VIA LAMBINA STATION........................................................................................... 10 3.4.6 OODNADATTA TO MT DARE VIA HAMILTON STATION, ERINGA WATERHOLE, ABMINGA SIDING ..................... 10 3.4.7 WITJIRA NATIONAL PARK ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.4.8 OODNADATTA TO CADNEY ROADHOUSE ...................................................................................................... 12 3.4.9 BULGUNNIA TO TARCOOLA ........................................................................................................................... 12 3.4.10 TARCOOLA TO GLENDAMBO ......................................................................................................................... 13 3.4.11 KINGOONYA TO IRON KNOB, KIMBA, WIRRULLA ........................................................................................... 13 4 DISCUSSION.................................................................................................................................................. 14 5 APPENDIX...................................................................................................................................................... 15 5.1 Appendix A: Cenchrus sp. Specimens Collected During Survey 15 5.2 Appendix B: Buffel Grass Roadside Survey Results, March 2015 18 5.3 Appendix C: Buffel Grass Roadside Survey Attributes 21 2015, COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE, RURAL SOLUTIONS SA Table of Figures FIGURE 1: REGIONAL MONTHLY RAINFALL SUMMARIES OCTOBER 2014 – MARCH 2015 ..........................................................3 FIGURE 2: SURVEY ROUTE AND SPECIMEN COLLECTION LOCATIONS - MARLA/OODNADATTA TO SA/NT BORDER ..............5 FIGURE 3: SURVEY ROUTE & SPECIMEN COLLECTION LOCATIONS - TARCOOLA/ROXBY DOWNS/KIMBA REGION ................6 FIGURE 4: SURVEY ROUTE AND SPECIMEN COLLECTION LOCATIONS - WHITE HORSE PLAINS / TWO WELLS REGION ........7 FIGURE 5: BUFFEL GRASS ROADSIDE SURVEY 2005 TO 2015 .....................................................................................................8 FIGURE 6: BUFFEL GRASS AMONGST OTHER GRASSES ON ROADSIDE VERGE AT PIMBA (CJB 6238) ....................................9 FIGURE 7: BUFFEL GRASS PLANT ON BOREFIELD RD (CJB 6233). NB PINK FLAGGING TAPE ON ADJACENT PLANT. .............9 FIGURE 8: BUFFEL GRASS ON VERGE OF OODNADATTA TRACK, TODMORDEN STATION (CJB 6172) ................................. 120 FIGURE 9: SMALL ISOLATED INFESTATIONS EXIST ON ROADSIDE LEADING TO HAMILTON STATION (CJB 6186)… ........... 120 FIGURE 10: INDIVIDUAL PLANTS SURROUND THE ERINGA WATERHOLE (CJB 6211) ............................................................. 120 FIGURE 11: BUFFEL GRASS IN SANDY DRAINAGE LINE, NEW CROWN STATION (CJB 6197) ................................................. 120 FIGURE 12: BUFFEL GRASS EXTEND INTO SURROUNDING DUNE SYSTEM AT FEDERAL HS / BLOODS CREEK, WITJIRA NP (CJB 6209) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 131 FIGURE 13: HIGH DENSITY INFESTATION NORTH OF OPOSSUM WATERHOLE, WITJIRA NP (CJB 6203) .............................. 131 FIGURE 14: BUFFEL GRASS IN SANDY DUNE SYSTEM AROUND DALHOUSIE, WITJIRA NP (CJB 6205) ................................. 131 FIGURE 15: BUFFEL GRASS EXTENDING DOWN DRAINAGE LINE KEMPE RD, ALLANDALE STATION (CJB 6125). ................ 142 FIGURE 16: BUFFEL GRASS AROUND GRID, BULGUNNIA STATION (CJB 6223)....................................................................... 142 FIGURE 17: BUFFEL GRASS ON ENTRANCE TO TARCOOLA (CJB 6228) .................................................................................. 142 FIGURE 18: BUFFEL GRASS POPULATION ON ROAD VERGE BETWEEN KINGOONYA AND GLENDAMBO ............................ 153 FIGURE 19: BUFFEL GRASS ALONG RAIL / ROAD CORRIDOR BETWEEN TARCOOLA & GLENDAMBO .................................. 153 FIGURE 20: SPARSE BUFFEL GRASS POPULATION EXTENDING INTO THE NATURAL ZONE, KOKOTHA STATION (CJB 6250) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 153 FIGURE 21: BUFFEL GRASS IN ROAD VERGE LAKE EVERARD / KOKOTHA ............................................................................. 153 FIGURE 22: BUFFEL GRASS ROADSIDE SURVEY RESULTS, MARCH 2015 – NORTHERN PORTION ....................................... 18 FIGURE 23: BUFFEL GRASS ROADSIDE SURVEY RESULTS, MARCH 2015 – CENTRAL PORTION ........................................... 19 FIGURE 24: BUFFEL GRASS ROADSIDE SURVEY RESULTS, MARCH 2015 – SOUTHERN PORTION ........................................ 20 2015, COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE, RURAL SOLUTIONS SA 1 Background Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) is a perennial tussock grass native to Africa, India and Asia. Since its introduction into central and northern Australia for pasture improvement and for dust control, buffel grass has spread widely across many landscapes. Buffel grass is widely distributed across northern arid South Australia as scattered infestations varying in size and density.1 Most infestations occur in South Australia’s arid rangelands. The actual distribution of buffel grass however is likely to be larger than is currently known. Natural spread and the establishment of new infestations continues to take place. Buffel grass has been recognised as one of the worst weeds to invade Australia’s arid rangelands. It is favoured as a pasture species and despised as an environmental weed is due to its ease of establishment, rapid growth rate, fast maturation, prolonged flowering periods, prolific seed production and high seed dispersal ability, coupled with relatively long seed dormancy (Franks 2002). Buffel grass is tolerant of drought, fire and grazing. Roadside surveys provide a rapid insight into the status of roadside distribution across SA. Surveys conducted since 2005, have examined and mapped the majority of roadsides in far north SA. 2 Method 2.1 Survey route The March 2015 survey route was designed to supplement and complement previous buffel grass roadside surveys. These surveys aim to provide an accurate record of buffel grass occurrence along roadways that are in susceptible habitats. Previous survey reports were examined for ‘gaps’ in survey data, and the resultant survey route was developed and agreed upon with Troy