Fungi chomp into top 20 weed

Microscopic fungi are the newest weapon against Parkinsonia — one of the worst 20 weeds in Australia which is creeping towards Kakadu National Park.

Parkinsonia is a thorny weed that is spreading north, mostly across cattle country in Central Queensland and the top end of Australia.

It blocks waterways, hides feral pigs and forms dense kilometre-long thickets which make it hard to move stock.

University of Queensland PhD student Naomi Diplock and her supervisor, plant pathologist Dr Victor Galea, are isolating fungi they believe are causing a natural dieback of the weed.

Plants affected by the fungus have yellow leaves, brown stems and die back from the branch tips.

Miss Diplock said understanding more about the dieback process would help them manipulate and extend the process to further control the weed.

She said that once they had isolated the responsible fungi out of about five types, they could develop a quick and effective inoculation process for use by landowners.

“Huge amounts of money are spent on controlling Parkinsonia mostly with chemicals, mechanical removal by bulldozer or fire.”

Trials have been done at Newcastle Waters Station in the Northern Territory and will start south of Charters Towers soon.

Miss Diplock, a 24-year-old who holds of one of UQ’s premier agricultural prizes, the WW Bryan Memorial Medal, said they hoped to come up with a less labour intensive control method than injecting individual trees.

She will launch a survey of landholders who’ve had Parkinsonia dieback on their properties at the 8th Queensland Weeds Symposium in Townsville from June 19-22.

She wants landholders to send her information on the occurrence of Parkinsonia dieback on their properties and also send samples from affected plants to help her research.

The Barkly Landcare and Conservation Association, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Cooperative Research Centre for Weed Management in South Australia are also involved in the project.

The CSIRO is considering using insects to control Parkinsonia.

Media: Miss Diplock (0403 740 123, 5460 1294, n.diplock@uq.edu.au) Dr Galea (5460 1282, v.galea@uq.edu.au) or Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (3365 2619)