Gamba Grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) which was introduced as improved fodder grass in the North... more Gamba Grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) which was introduced as improved fodder grass in the Northern Territory of Australia is an invasive weed replacing natural pastoral grasses and is becoming naturalized beyond the pastoral system. Its high biomass can fuel fires approximately eight times more intense than those involving native grasses, posing a threat to the natural environment, people and property. Widespread and exhaustive, it negatively affects water cycles and soil nutrients under infested areas.
Currently, it is is declared as a Class 2 Pest plant under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Management) Act of 2002. Not many control methods are available other than taking the advantage of the short-lived seed bank by two consecutive years of herbicide spraying on mature grass followed by spraying young grasses. Conventional methods using herbicides is basically not sufficient following the establishment of the grass beyond the pastoral range and spread into the natural ecosystem. Also, the use of chemicals is neither economical nor desirable in invaded natural wild ecosystems. Therefore, an acceptable long-term control like integrated weed management programs that focuses on ecosystem processes need to be adopted.
While biological methods of weed management can be considered for such natural ecosystems, limited availability of candidate organisms has challenged the current practices. Hence, in this research work, using Koch’s postulates, isolates obtained from dieback disorder of Gamba grass in Northern Territory, and natural mortality of seedlings in a seedling assay, control treatments and plants growing under glasshouse conditions were evaluated for their efficacy on healthy seedlings and plants under laboratory and glasshouse conditions, respectively.
From this investigative research, Fusarium sp. has been identified as the prime candidate for causing dieback disorder and Curvularia species for natural seedling and plant death. These fungi represent a new and potentially rewarding approach to explore the potential biological control of an invasive Gamba grass in natural ecosystems.
Gamba Grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) which was introduced as improved fodder grass in the North... more Gamba Grass (Andropogon gayanus Kunth) which was introduced as improved fodder grass in the Northern Territory of Australia is an invasive weed replacing natural pastoral grasses and is becoming naturalized beyond the pastoral system. Its high biomass can fuel fires approximately eight times more intense than those involving native grasses, posing a threat to the natural environment, people and property. Widespread and exhaustive, it negatively affects water cycles and soil nutrients under infested areas.
Currently, it is is declared as a Class 2 Pest plant under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Management) Act of 2002. Not many control methods are available other than taking the advantage of the short-lived seed bank by two consecutive years of herbicide spraying on mature grass followed by spraying young grasses. Conventional methods using herbicides is basically not sufficient following the establishment of the grass beyond the pastoral range and spread into the natural ecosystem. Also, the use of chemicals is neither economical nor desirable in invaded natural wild ecosystems. Therefore, an acceptable long-term control like integrated weed management programs that focuses on ecosystem processes need to be adopted.
While biological methods of weed management can be considered for such natural ecosystems, limited availability of candidate organisms has challenged the current practices. Hence, in this research work, using Koch’s postulates, isolates obtained from dieback disorder of Gamba grass in Northern Territory, and natural mortality of seedlings in a seedling assay, control treatments and plants growing under glasshouse conditions were evaluated for their efficacy on healthy seedlings and plants under laboratory and glasshouse conditions, respectively.
From this investigative research, Fusarium sp. has been identified as the prime candidate for causing dieback disorder and Curvularia species for natural seedling and plant death. These fungi represent a new and potentially rewarding approach to explore the potential biological control of an invasive Gamba grass in natural ecosystems.
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Currently, it is is declared as a Class 2 Pest plant under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Management) Act of 2002. Not many control methods are available other than taking the advantage of the short-lived seed bank by two consecutive years of herbicide spraying on mature grass followed by spraying young grasses. Conventional methods using herbicides is basically not sufficient following the establishment of the grass beyond the pastoral range and spread into the natural ecosystem. Also, the use of chemicals is neither economical nor desirable in invaded natural wild ecosystems. Therefore, an acceptable long-term control like integrated weed management programs that focuses on ecosystem processes need to be adopted.
While biological methods of weed management can be considered for such natural ecosystems, limited availability of candidate organisms has challenged the current practices. Hence, in this research work, using Koch’s postulates, isolates obtained from dieback disorder of Gamba grass in Northern Territory, and natural mortality of seedlings in a seedling assay, control treatments and plants growing under glasshouse conditions were evaluated for their efficacy on healthy seedlings and plants under laboratory and glasshouse conditions, respectively.
From this investigative research, Fusarium sp. has been identified as the prime candidate for causing dieback disorder and Curvularia species for natural seedling and plant death. These fungi represent a new and potentially rewarding approach to explore the potential biological control of an invasive Gamba grass in natural ecosystems.
Currently, it is is declared as a Class 2 Pest plant under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Management) Act of 2002. Not many control methods are available other than taking the advantage of the short-lived seed bank by two consecutive years of herbicide spraying on mature grass followed by spraying young grasses. Conventional methods using herbicides is basically not sufficient following the establishment of the grass beyond the pastoral range and spread into the natural ecosystem. Also, the use of chemicals is neither economical nor desirable in invaded natural wild ecosystems. Therefore, an acceptable long-term control like integrated weed management programs that focuses on ecosystem processes need to be adopted.
While biological methods of weed management can be considered for such natural ecosystems, limited availability of candidate organisms has challenged the current practices. Hence, in this research work, using Koch’s postulates, isolates obtained from dieback disorder of Gamba grass in Northern Territory, and natural mortality of seedlings in a seedling assay, control treatments and plants growing under glasshouse conditions were evaluated for their efficacy on healthy seedlings and plants under laboratory and glasshouse conditions, respectively.
From this investigative research, Fusarium sp. has been identified as the prime candidate for causing dieback disorder and Curvularia species for natural seedling and plant death. These fungi represent a new and potentially rewarding approach to explore the potential biological control of an invasive Gamba grass in natural ecosystems.