Act now to control Paterson's curse

After years of control management strategies by farmers around the shire, it seems the annual weed Paterson’s curse has made a resurgence thanks to January's bushfires. Although fire incinerates a lot of pasture species seeds in the soil, seeds of some invasive species such as capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) and Paterson’s curse (Echium plantagineum) can have their dormancy broken by heat and/or presence of smoke. Capeweed (also known as cape dandelion) has been a recent and dominant display on firegrounds, carpeting burnt forests and damaged pastures and gardens in a sea of yellow flowers. The species has just passed its peak flowering time. However, the purple hue of Paterson’s curse across pastureland is of greater threat, as the pyrrolizidine alkaloids the species contains cause cumulative liver damage to livestock, and with local pastures destroyed by the fires, grazing animals are more likely to eat the plant’s young toxic rosettes. Horses, cattle, and pigs face the highest risk. Paterson’s curse can hold up to 30,000 seeds per square meter, and when heavy rain follows a fire, the invasive weed rapidly outcompetes burnt native vegetation and pastures. The granite soils of the Strathbogie Tableland can be fragile if infested with a dense monoculture of Paterson's curse. The weed can permanently reduce pasture productivity and diminish long-term soil fertility, and if allowed to set seed can remain a problem for up to seven years. It is crucial that landholders deal with Paterson’s curse right now, applying Glyphosate (75ml–100ml per 15L) or Metsulfuron-methyl (5g per 100L) timed at early flowering. Short-term control by slashing needs to be close to the ground and done fortnightly to prevent new flowers from emerging, however, wilting cut stalks are more palatable to livestock yet remain just as toxic. For more information, contact geckoclan.com.au