Case Study: Battling tussock at Mount Rothwell and Weering

The VSTWP are keen to increase our online engagement. We hope this will enable the community and our stakeholders to have access to high-quality videos and educational resources, at their fingertips.

We are lucky enough to have 23 videos on our YouTube channel, which have been produced over the past decade. Some of these videos are case studies, whilst others cover the topics of identification and best practice management principles.

This week, our Education Series covers the video case study featuring landowners discussing the importance of managing and controlling the invasive grass, serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma) on a large farm at Mount Rothwell and Weering, Victoria, Australia. Please enjoy and share, and post any questions you have. 

Background: Serrated tussock is a highly invasive weed of temperate Australia. It is one of Australia’s worst weeds and was selected as a Weed of National Significance due to its invasiveness, potential for spread and social, economic and environmental impacts (Thorp and Lynch 2000).

Being similar in appearance to many native tussock grasses, serrated tussock may go unnoticed in both pastures and native grasslands for many years until significant infestations have developed.

It will readily invade pastures, native grasslands, grassy woodlands and roadsides. Being a weed that is mostly dispersed by wind, it will easily spread between paddocks and properties within a region. Serrated tussock is a weed that can cause many complex issues within the communities that it occurs, requiring long-term management and a community/regional approach.

Serrated tussock can have significant impacts on agriculture, native grasslands, and urban environments. Please click here to learn about how to best identify Serrated Tussock.