serrated tussock

4 posts

Member for

5 years 11 months
Last seen: 02/01/2023 - 09:31
Joined: 11/09/2018 - 20:37

serrated tussock

How do I eradicate serrated tussock from my property?

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Last seen: 06/11/2019 - 19:02
Joined: 06/11/2019 - 14:01

hi this is a very hard to get rid of , apart from ruining animals teethe, it will spread.
Several ways to try. first slashing it at the ground. afraid I don't know of any product to spray on it. best way digging it up with a bucket or digger, sm acres, and burn it. we had this problem at our first farm. I did a lot of belts on the mower hitting the stupid things.

Last seen: 06/13/2019 - 10:17
Joined: 09/09/2011 - 11:03

Hi Robdog,

Please see some information below regarding the control of serrated tussock.

Pasture management
Maintaining healthy pastures is the best long-term defence against serrated tussock. Serrated tussock is unlikely to establish in a good perennial pasture with legumes. Thin and bare patches in the pasture are at most risk of invasion.
Dense pastures with 100% groundcover can prevent seedling establishment. To maintain healthy pastures:
grow combinations of winter and summer pastures
rest pastures between grazing periods
adjust grazing to:
keep the ground covered with good pasture plants
have higher cover during summer when serrated tussock sets seed
reduce numbers of grazing animals before overgrazing occurs
test soil to check fertility
use fertiliser if needed.
If you do have to spray, there are 2 main options.

Flupropanate herbicides
Flupropanate can remain active in the soil for up to two years. Residual activity depends on the amount of rainfall. Residual activity is longer with low rainfall or drought. Flupropanate continues killing serrated tussock seedlings until 100mm of leaching rainfall has fallen.
Flupropanate takes several months to kill serrated tussock. It may not stop seed production when applied after mid-August. Apply 2 – 4 weeks before seed heads emerge (indicated by thickening of tillers).

Glyphosate herbicides
Use glyphosate for a complete knockdown of serrated tussock and other weeds. Glyphosate has no residual effect. Carefully timed applications can allow some selectivity - killing serrated tussock whilst preserving dormant desirable pastures. It is important to get good spray coverage of all the target plant or it may recover.
Apply glyphosate:
in spring before crop or pasture in autumn
just before sowing in autumn
when plants are actively growing
to spot spray serrated tussock before it seeds.
Avoid using glyphosate when:
soil is dry and serrated tussock plants are stressed
there are frosts or dew on the plant
dead plant material covers the growing parts of weeds.
Glyphosate can be unreliable when:
tussock are mature, AND
growing on fertile clay soils, AND
there is low rainfall.
Spot spraying
Spot spray individual clumps or small patches year round, before plants set seed. Calibrate spray equipment to ensure you apply the correct rate of herbicide. Only spray the tussock plants. A spray shield can minimise damage to surrounding plants. Check paddocks after spraying for any missed plants.

Please bear in mind label changes to registration of certain herbicides and applications registered for use.

I hope this helps.

Stuart

Last seen: 07/09/2019 - 10:42
Joined: 09/21/2018 - 23:46

After 25 years of spot spraying I have not eradicated ST but have it under control. Whish my neighbours would also spray.

I have found that adding extra wetting agent to glyphosate improves the kill when spot spraying.
I found that Agral works well.

1lt glyphosate and 250ml Agral / 100lt water.

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