Reprinted fromPlant Plant Protection Protection Quarterly Quarterly Vol.15(4) Vol.15(4) 2000 2000 131 Broom management Proceedings of a workshop held at Ellerston and Moonan on 16–17 November 1998 This is part of a series of workshops sponsored by the Co-operative Research Centre for Weed Management Systems Editors: A.W. Sheppard and J.R. Hosking Broom management CRC eed management systems 132 Plant Protection Quarterly Vol.15(4) 2000 CRC Co-operative Research Centre for eed Weed Management Systems management Established and supported under the Australian Government’s systems Co-operative Research Centres Program MISSION STATEMENT The CRC is committed to increasing the sustainability of agriculture and protecting the natural environment by developing ecologically sound, cost effective weed manage- ment systems. OBJECTIVES • To reduce the impact of weeds on farm productivity and profitability by developing sustainable management programs that optimize the integration of chemical, bio- logical and ecological approaches for annual crop and pasture systems in the crop- ping zone of southern Australia. • To develop practical integrated weed management systems that reduce weed infes- tation, protect the environment and enhance sustainability and productivity of Aus- tralian temperate perennial pasture ecosystems. • To develop integrated strategies for the sustainable management of weeds invading natural ecosystems in temperate Australia, in order to maintain biological diversity of native flora and fauna and to prevent further degradation of natural habitats. • To implement a suite of weed science and weed management education programs which, for the first time in Australia, offers a coordinated approach to educating undergraduates, postgraduates, professional land and natural resource managers, and the community. • To interact with researchers and land managers to communicate the results of weed research and foster the adoption of resulting weed management strategies. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRC FOR WEED MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CRC for Weed Management Systems Waite Campus University of Adelaide PMB 1 Glen Osmond SA 5064 Phone: (08) 8303 6590 Fax: (08) 8303 7125 Email: [email protected] Plant Protection Quarterly Vol.15(4) 2000 133 Contents Broom management workshop Broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) population management strategies Andy W. Sheppard, John R. Hosking and Andrew R. Leys 134 Raising awareness of the broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) problem on the Barrington Tops, New South Wales Bev Adams 139 An introduction to the biogeography and ecology of broom (Cytisus scoparius) in Australia J.M.B. Smith 140 Impacts of broom (Cytisus scoparius) in western North America Dennis L. Isaacson 145 Status of broom in New Zealand Simon Fowler and Pauline Syrett 148 Determinants of broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) abundance in Europe Quentin Paynter, Simon V. Fowler, Jane Memmott, Richard H. Shaw and Andy W. Sheppard 149 Factors affecting broom regeneration in Australia and their management implications Andy Sheppard, Peter Hodge and Quentin Paynter 156 Controlling broom (Cytisus scoparius) in pasture on the Barrington Tops – a graziers perspective A. Clark 161 Broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) competition and management in eucalypt tree farms C.D. Barnes and G.K. Holz 163 Controlling broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) in native forest ecosystems K. Carter and A. Signor 165 Herbicides for broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link): testing alternatives to Grazon® Craig Hore 167 Controlling broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) in natural ecosystems in Barrington Tops National Park Mellesa Schroder and Chris Howard 169 Threats to the rare and threatened plant species of Barrington Tops Anne Heinrich and Bill Dowling 172 Brooms as part of the Australian nursery industry Ian Atkinson and Andy Sheppard 176 Broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) and fire: management implications Paul O. Downey 178 Cutting and mulching broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link): a Tasmanian perspective Eddie Talbot 183 Broom workshop participants 186 Cover illustration of Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link, reproduced with the permission of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney 134 Plant Protection Quarterly Vol.15(4) 2000 Broom management Proceedings of a workshop held at Ellerston and Moonan on 16–17 November 1998. Organized by Bev Adams and sponsored by the Cooperative Research Centre for Weed Management Systems and the Ellerston Pastoral Company. Editors: A.W. Sheppard and J.R. Hosking Broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) population Previous workshops on broom have been held in 1986 (at Barrington Tops) and management strategies in 1997 (at Tumut). The recommendations from the 1986 workshop (Atchison 1986) Andy W. SheppardA, John R. HoskingB and Andrew R. LeysC are outlined in Table 2, and many of them A CRC for Weed Management Systems, CSIRO Entomology, GPO Box 1700, have been implemented. Although no proceedings are available from the 1997 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia. B workshop, one of its outcomes was that CRC for Weed Management Systems, NSW Agriculture, RMB 944, the Alpine Liaison Committee allocated Tamworth, New South Wales 2340, Australia. resources towards Victorian releases of C NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, New broom biological control agents already South Wales 2220, Australia. released in New South Wales. On arrival at the workshop, partici- pants were allocated to one of six groups Summary relating to their area of expertise and pro- In November 1998 a broom management commercial forests and national parks. vided with a realistic broom management workshop was held with this title. The Also present were extension officers, and problem, a suggested budget and a task workshop aimed to review the status of local and regional council representatives list. The aim was to develop a manage- broom as a weed, from biogeographic, as well as representatives of community ment strategy for the given problem (see ecological and economic perspectives, and Landcare groups, and the nursery in- below), before the end of the workshop. assess the efficacy of available control dustry. The first day of the workshop consisted of options, and to start the development of The aim of the workshop was to review formal presentations to set the stage un- integrated strategies for broom control the status of broom as a weed, from der the following session headings: under a range of situations. Following biogeographic, ecological and economic • Broom problem in Australia and over- formal presentations a workshopping perspectives, assess the efficacy of avail- seas session was conducted aimed at develop- able control options, and to start the de- • Conflicts of interest ing best-bet management strategies for velopment of integrated strategies for • Why is broom a weed? broom in a range of typical situations broom control under a range of situations. • Practical management options where broom needs to be managed. This Expected outcomes from the perspective • Industries affected and current control was followed by a general discussion. of the participants at the commencement strategies The contexts of this workshop, the devel- of the workshop are listed in Table 1. • Evaluation oped ‘best bet’ strategies and outcomes of this workshop session are outlined in Table 1. Expected outcomes from this broom workshop as defined by the this paper (see Table 3). participants at the start of the workshop. Introduction Outcome Number. of respondents Broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link) is an for each outcome exotic weed in five continents. Even 1. To meet and establish links with researchers and others doing broom within its native range, temperate Europe control 4 and eastern Asia, broom can reach an 2. To gain a broader perspective of the broom problem in Australia 3 abundance that requires management, 3. To identify knowledge gaps and prioritize areas for future research 3 particularly within forestry and grazing 4. Develop integrated strategies to contain and eradicate broom in natural systems (Hosking et al. 1998). In Novem- ecosystems 3 ber 1998, the Cooperative Research Centre 5. Refine control techniques and best practice guidelines 3 for Weed Management Systems and the 6. Become conversant with current best practice for broom control 1 Ellerston Pastoral Company sponsored a 7. Obtain information on the best native species to re-vegetate broom broom management workshop, to discuss infested areas 1 and develop integrated management 8. Learn of the impacts of broom on pastures 1 strategies for this weed. Thirty-two del- 9. Understand the realistic potential for effective biological control 1 egates attended the workshop, including 10. Coordinate biocontrol agent redistribution and monitoring of releases two from New Zealand and one from the and prioritize where/when further releases are to be made 1 USA. Two of the participants had been re- 11. Understand further biological control research needs and to prioritize sponsible for most of the research carried this research 1 out in the international biological control 12. Secure releases of biological control agents in north western Tasmania 1 program on broom in Europe since 1988. 13. To identify any scope for the use of native predators for biological control 1 Workshop participants had expertise in 14. Discuss need for research on genetic variation in broom 1 broom ecology, biological control, and 15. Develop collaborative research projects 1 management of broom on farms,