Applying IVM strategies to mown vegetation management in Australia

In 2008, Technigro was awarded a Road Maintenance Performance Contract (RMPC) with the Department of Main Roads (DMR) to provide all vegetation management requirements for the network of roads on the western side of the M1 in the South Coast Hinterland District.

Through implementation of an integrated approach to vegetation management, the team at Technigro has managed to deliver many benefits to the customer, including improved quality, safety and environmental benefits, all of which have contributed to a 25% reduction in the net cost associated with the mown vegetation management. To read more click here

IVMP Project Update - June 2009

Over the past two years the IVMP project has been working to identify best practices for mown vegetation management. The outcomes realised within IVMP will integrate vegetation management decision-making processes into mown vegetation management planning, design, construction, and maintenance. The expected benefits include a more economical and sustainable mown vegetation management model.

The project is trialling integrated strategies using selected plant growth regulators, herbicides and nutrition, in combination with mowing and other cultural practices, to determine the combination of practices that best suits the species composition present in each classification.

A second year of Phytotoxicity trials has been successfully completed at the Queensland DPI&F Redlands Research Facility during Summer 2009. Field Efficacy trials in both Brisbane and Sydney have also been completed with very promising results.

Project VC’s intend to fund aligned trials that will support the work being completed under TU07008. The new trial work will explore the integration of IVM strategies into current mowing activities.

The Project Technical Team are currently reviewing all trial data and will set out the strategy for year three when Dr Fred Yelverton visits Australia in August 2009.

Dr Sheldon Navie joins the IVMP Project - Tech Team

I am pleased to advise that Dr Sheldon Navie has joined the IVMP Project in a Research Support role and as a member of the Tech Team.

Dr Navie brings a significant amount of scientific knowledge to the project team, particularly in the fields of plant ecology, weed biology, and grass taxonomy and identification.

Prior to his current appointment at Grow Solutions, Dr Navie has been based at the School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences at the St.Lucia campus of the The University of Queensland, where he completed his PhD on the biology of parthenium weed. He has since undertaken various roles at the University in collaboration with numerous internal and external organisations. This has included teaching plant and weed identification to undergraduate students, the supervision of higher degree students researching the biology and management of weed species, and the development of interactive teaching tools for undergraduate students and the wider community.

The most significant outputs of his work to date are a range of interactive weed identification CD's and DVD's using the Lucid software system. These products, including Environmental Weeds of Australia and Declared Plants of Australia, were developed in conjunction with the Centre for Biological Information Technology (CBIT) and other organisations (e.g. the CRC for Australian Weed Management). In recent years, Sheldon's expertise has also been utilised by Biosecurity Queensland, Brisbane City Council and the Queensland Herbarium on short-term projects involving the profiling and risk asessment of weed species.