New guide to reduce weed risks from fodder

If care is not taken, animal feed can be a source of weeds on your property.

Fodder brought in from other districts can be an opportunity for new weeds to make their way onto your farm.

Recognising the risks of introducing or spreading weeds from fodder brought in to feed livestock, the Queensland Herbarium, funded by the National Landcare Programme, has produced ‘Reducing weed risks from fodder’ guide, which provides ways in which to manage fodder weed risks, from transport, and on-farm storage to monitoring for weeds.

There are descriptions and photos of 16 common fodder weeds in Queensland, along with the ways in which the weed can be spread.

It can sometimes be difficult to know which weeds you are dealing with and the guide provides advice on how to collect, preserve and send weed specimens for identification.

It’s a good idea to inspect animal feed for signs of weed seeds and material from toxic plants

Their advice is to make an informed choice before bringing fodder onto your property by asking your supplier a few questions, such as:

• Is a fodder vendor declaration available?
• What plant material, including weeds, is known to be in the fodder?
• Is the fodder free from weed seeds and dried stalks of toxic weeds?
• What are the major weeds species known to occur in the fodder production area?

To find out the major weeds species that occur in a fodder production area in Queensland go to the website environment.ehp.qld.gov.au/report-request/species-list. This Queensland Government page can be used to create reports on weeds by local government area, geographic coordinates or a specified point on the map.

A pdf version of the guide can be downloaded from here.