Weeds

Weeds pose a serious risk for primary producers as they can impact on market access and agricultural production.

In 2006/07, each Western Australian agricultural business spent an average of $29 376 ($341 million total) on weed control (Australian Bureau of Statistics).

Weed control is a shared responsibility between landholders, grower groups, biosecurity groups and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

To protect WA’s agriculture, the department:

  • works with landholders, grower groups, community groups and biosecurity groups
  • regulates weeds under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007
  • provides a weed identification service
  • provides a predictive simulation tool called weed seed wizard
  • provides information on weed control, crop weeds, regulated/declared plants and herbicides
  • contributes to social science through weedwatcher.

For advice on weeds search our website, the Western Australian Organism List or contact our Pest and Disease Information Service (PaDIS).

For diagnostic services, please contact our Diagnostic Laboratory Services.

Articles

  • Narrow leaf cotton bush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA).

  • Local government authorities can prescribe problematic plant species as 'pest plants' under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act).

  • Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) is a weed in Western Australia (WA).

  • Heliotrope (Heliotropium europaeum) is a common summer weed in the southwest of Western Australia (WA).

  • Artichoke thistle, cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is an uncommon weed in Western Australia (WA).

  • Thornapples, common thornapple (Datura stramonium), fierce thornapple (Datura ferox), Leichhardt’s or Mexican thornapple (Datura leichhardtii),

  • Glaucous star thistle (Carthamus leucocaulos) is an uncommon weed in Western Australia (WA). This article describes the nature of the plant.

  • African thistle (Berkheya rigida) is a pest in Western Australia (WA). This article describes the nature of the plant.

  • Saffron thistle (Carthamus lanatus) is a pest in Western Australia (WA).

  • Mintweed (Salvia reflexa) is an uncommon weed in Western Australia (WA). This article describes the nature of the plant with links to control methods.