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

  • This article contains useful information about Paterson's curse (Echium plantagineum), how to identify it and biological control agents.

  • The plants identified here have the potential to cause significant damage to Western Australia's pastoral industry and to the unique biodiversity of the rangelands.

  • Pine cone cactus (Tephrocactus articulatus) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA).

  • Praxelis (Praxelis clematidea) is a declared pest in Western Austral

  • ‘Risk-aware’ growers can implement strategies to reduce and avoid unnecessary introduction and spread of weeds.

  • Summer weeds can rob subsequent crops of soil nitrogen and stored soil water. They can also reduce crop emergence by causing physical and/or chemical interference at seeding time.

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

  • A list containing links to descriptions and chemical controls for declared plants and a calendar of operation for declared and other trouble plants.

  • Control methods for apple of Sodom (Solanum linnaeanum) a declared pest in Western Australia.

  • The Transforming Regional Biosecurity Response forums held in October 2016 brought together community, industry and government to develop a collaborative approach to 

Filter by search

Filter by topic