Weed Management Plan for Grader Grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) 2016 Photograph: P. Cowan NT.GOV.AU Weed Management Branch Department of Land Resource Management PO Box 496 Palmerston NT 0831 © Northern Territory of Australia, 2016 ISBN: 9781743500972 This product and all material forming part of it is copyright belonging to the Northern Territory of Australia. You may use this material for your personal, non-commercial use or use it with your organisation for non-commercial purposes provided that an appropriate acknowledgement is made and the material is not altered in any way. Subject to the fair dealing provisions of the Copyright Act 1968 you must not make any other use of this product (including copying or reproducing it or part of it in any way) unless you have the written permission of the Northern Territory of Australia to do so. Important Disclaimer The Northern Territory of Australia does not warrant that this publication, or any part of it, is correct or complete. 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Weed Management Plan for Grader Grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) 2016 ii Executive summary This Weed Management Plan forms part of a strategic approach to grader grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) management in the NT, with the overall aim being to mitigate the damage caused by grader grass in relation to the natural environment, production values, property and infrastructure. A comprehensive weed risk management assessment found grader grass to be a very high risk weed with a low feasibility of control, but where potential exists for successful management in some areas. On the basis of this assessment grader grass has been declared under the Weeds Management Act (the Act) as: Class B: Growth and spread to be controlled. Class C: Not to be introduced into the NT (Class B weeds are also classified as Class C). This plan establishes the objectives, management requirements and management actions to be achieved by land managers and the minimum actions to be taken to achieve these outcomes. Conducting land management practices in accordance with this plan will secure compliance with the requirements of the Act. This plan takes effect for a period of three years, during which it will be monitored. The plan will be reviewed and any necessary adjustments made at the end of that period. This plan also incorporates advice on best management practice which will ultimately contribute to strategic weed control at a Territory scale. In the short term these actions will seek to prevent the spread of grader grass into new areas and over time, reduce the level and range of grader grass. Information on a range of management techniques and control methods, including physical and chemical control, controlled burning and hygiene procedures is included. Weed Management Plan for Grader Grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) 2016 iii Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................... iii 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Period and application of plan .................................................................................. 3 1.3 Coordinated and adaptive management of grader grass .......................................... 4 2. Aim and objectives ............................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Aim .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Management objectives ........................................................................................... 5 3. Grader grass declaration status ........................................................................................ 6 3.1 Northern Territory Weed Risk Management System ................................................ 6 4. Current distribution ........................................................................................................... 7 5. Management requirements ............................................................................................... 8 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8 5.2 Controlling growth and spread (Class B) .................................................................. 8 5.2.1 Transport and service corridors and easements ....................................................... 9 5.2.2 Mining and extractives industries ........................................................................... 10 5.2.3 All other land .......................................................................................................... 11 5.2.4 Hay management ................................................................................................... 12 5.3 Preventing spread .................................................................................................. 12 5.4 Management challenges ........................................................................................ 12 5.4.1 Grader grass herbicide trials .................................................................................. 13 5.5 Permits................................................................................................................... 13 6. Control methods ............................................................................................................. 14 6.1 General .................................................................................................................. 14 6.1.1 Integrated weed control .......................................................................................... 14 6.1.2 Weed management planning and mapping ............................................................ 14 6.1.3 Timing weed control ............................................................................................... 14 6.2 Chemical control .................................................................................................... 15 6.2.1 Disclaimer .............................................................................................................. 15 6.2.2 When to apply herbicide ......................................................................................... 16 6.2.3 How to apply herbicide ........................................................................................... 16 6.2.4 Monitoring results and follow-up ............................................................................. 17 6.2.5 Broad leaf and other weed emergence following control ........................................ 17 6.3 Non-chemical control ............................................................................................. 17 6.3.1 Physical removal of plant or seed heads ................................................................ 17 6.3.2 Slashing or mowing ................................................................................................ 17 6.3.3 Grazing .................................................................................................................. 18 6.3.4 Stock exclusion and fencing ................................................................................... 18 6.4 Containment .......................................................................................................... 19 Weed Management Plan for Grader Grass (Themeda quadrivalvis) 2016 1 6.5 Fire management ................................................................................................... 19 6.5.1 Fuel load reduction ................................................................................................ 19 6.5.2 Weed control .......................................................................................................... 19 6.5.3 When and how to burn ........................................................................................... 19 6.5.4 Avoiding seed spread when using fire .................................................................... 20 7. Developing a weed spread prevention program .............................................................. 21 7.1 Hygiene procedures ............................................................................................... 21 7.2 Wash down facilities ............................................................................................... 21 7.3