A NOXIOUS weed could spiral out of control following recent funding cuts to the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA).
The Bridgetown Greenbushes Biodiversity Group is concerned Galium Aparine, commonly known as 'Cleavers,' is threatening Bridgetown and surrounding areas.
Cleavers is an annual weed with creeping, sprawling stems that branch and grow along the ground and over other plants. It attaches its small hooked hairs onto plants and produces seeds that are easily spread by animals, birds, humans, agricultural produce and machinery.
Once established Cleavers releases chemicals into the soil that stop other plants from growing, as it climbs over them, competing for nutrients – raising concerns for the survival of all flora, including native plants and agricultural produce.
Recent state government funding cuts to the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA) are forcing local volunteers to try to manage this epic problem with no coordinating body, causing much concern that the weed will spiral out of control.
Cleavers was classified as a declared pest up until recently, when the state government determined that it was under control. It has since been downgraded and can no longer receive DAFWA assistance.
The Bridgetown Greenbushes Biodiversity Group (BGBG) aims to prevent, eradicate, contain and minimise the economic, environmental and social impact of declared pests in the shire of Bridgetown Greenbushes.
BGBG Executive Officer Sarah Ekin said that local Biodiversity groups can only receive support from DAFWA for 'pest' weeds and animals if they are declared and categorised.
"Currently BGBG can only receive financial support from DAFWA for the pest plants and animals that are declared in our State and have a management category," Ms Ekin said. "Many of the pest plants in our Shire do not have such a status, including Cleavers which was recently re-categorised under the mistaken belief that it was no longer a pest in our region.
"Now, due to the status of this weed, it can only be managed by landholders, volunteers (BGBG) and the Shire weed officer. Due to its DAFWA management status, plantation owners and operators of plantation machinery do not need to manage the plant. The plantations that have recently been cleared, and are due to be cleared, contain this weed. The action of clearing is highly likely to result in its spread."
Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire Environmental Officer Andrew Matthews said he believed Cleavers was such a threat to biosecurity he would class it as a 'pandemic environmental flu'.
"Cleavers is not your everyday environmental flu," Mr Matthews said. “It is a very contagious and competitive pest that can quickly dominate its preferred habitat.
"Cleavers had been in the C3 management category, which means that private landholders must spray, weed and remove this pest plant. DAFWA has now put this pest plant into an 'exempt keeping category' which means no one needs to manage it if they don't want to. It has also been deemed that this pest plant is not a threat to the Shire, but we have large amounts of evidence to show that is it becoming a major threat to our town and region."
BGBG committee member and keen environmentalist Jenny Dewing said this was by far the worst weed she had ever come across and she was very concerned about the ferocity of the pest on the environment.
"Cleavers is a grave concern for all of us in the South West," Mrs Dewing said. "This is by far harder than bridal creeper and blackberry to manage. I can honestly say it is the worst weed I have encountered.
“I have been doing weed management in this area for 30 years and I have never seen a weed that is potentially so dangerous. It is the way that it spreads and the amount of seed that it produces and the way it can move around the landscape that raises such concern."
Ms Ekin said she was hoping to get as much information out into the community and gain as much support as possible to help get the management of Cleavers under better control.
"Cleavers is a noxious weed that is spreading around the South West very fast," Ms Ekin said. "If you pull the weed out it has 'alfalfa' sprout-like roots with the leaf structure arranged in a little whirl, which is a group of leaves coming from the same point on the stem. The leaf is covered in tiny prickles and rough in texture.
"When it starts to bolt, which is likely to happen in late August or early September, it will be really hard to manage.
"We would really like to have Cleavers re-classified again so as to gain DAFWA support in coordinating the management of it. But with government funding cuts, it will be much harder to have a strategic coordinating approach for this and future weeds and pests."
BGBG and the shire are seeking community members to help map the distribution of Cleavers, so as to highlight the threat Cleavers is posing to our natural environment and farming community.
One way to achieve this is by downloading an app and mapping where Cleavers is posing a threat. The MyPestGuide App can be downloaded free from ITunes and Google Play or by following the links at https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/plant-biosecurity/mypestguide-app
"If community members can stay alert and monitor their surroundings by observing what weeds are growing, this will be a great help in managing Cleavers," Ms Ekin said. "If you are suspicious about a weed please notify us at BGBG or the shire and we will assist you in identifying it."
