The South East Natural Resouces Management Board (SE NRM) is joining together with Victoria’s Wimmera Catchment Management Authority to fight off the invasion of bridal creeper (Asparagus asparagoides), considered by many to be the most significant weed threat to biodiversity in southern Australia.
The two organisations will share $333,000 worth of funding from the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry over the next three years, to carry out a counter-offensive through ‘sporewater’ application. This spraying activity spreads bridal creeper rust (Puccinia myrsiphylli) which retards the growth of common bridal creeper but does not present any risk to native vegetation. The other common assault tactic is the use of a herbicide that effectively destroys bridal creeper, but which can also wipe out other vegetation unfortunate enough to be overgrown by the pest.
SE NRM Authorised Officer, Tony Richman, based in Keith, says that he will be out spraying bridal creeper along the roadsides as soon as there’s a bit more moisture around. “The bridal creeper rust has been effective around the coast,” he says, “but it spreads better in moist conditions and unfortunately things have been pretty dry inland recently.” Tony also says that passers-by often get alarmed when they see him at work with his mister. “People need to be assured that what we’re applying is a bio-control measure harmless to other vegetation,” he adds, “we’re not spraying lethal chemicals all around the countryside.”
Bridal creeper is already commonly seen in roadsides, reserves and native vegetation throughout the South East. Every bridal creeper plant produces thousands of seeds each year, of which 90% are viable and can be spread long distances by birds and animals. Add to that the fact that it can also spread through its rhizomes in the soil and it’s easy to see why this particular pest is so successful. Once established it becomes a major threat to most low shrubs and ground plants, smothering them totally in a dense curtain of characteristic foliage and taking up all available soil space with its extensive root system.
Whilst the cross-border offensive is good news there’s not so good news on the horizon too. A more resistant form known as Western Cape Bridal Creeper has been identified in several parts of the Lower South East, including the surrounds of Port Macdonnell and Millicent. The Western Cape form shows considerable resistance to bridal creeper rust meaning it is only safely destroyed by herbicide or physical removal.
The SE NRM Board is about to embark on an awareness and control campaign to help the community identify the new form, so it can be tracked down and eradicated before it becomes more widespread. Western Cape Bridal Creeper has a larger leaf, more vigorous foliage and larger tubers in its root system.
Anyone requiring assistance in removing bridal creeper or more information about the two different forms should contact Justine Drew, Operations Manager, South East Natural Resources Management Board on 08 8762 9114.