Gamba Grass Management in the Lower Daly

A small Gamba infestation, sprayed with herbicide and pink dye. Note the cycads palms, Cycas canalis subsp. carinata which are endemic to the region and under threat from uncontrolled Gamba.

Pheasant Coucal nest with eggs(above) and chicks (below)

Story and photos by Joye Maddison, Group Coordinator Wangamaty (Lower Daly) Landcare Group Inc

For a number of years, from late November through to May, Wangamaty Landcare Coordinator, the MalakMalak rangers and their Facilitator become obsessed with finding and spraying Gamba grass (we also identify & treat other grassy weeds). At the same time we continue to support and encourage other landholders to control and monitor their Gamba sites.

Our management strategy is identifying & treating ‘outliers’, follow-up at previously treated sites, surveying then tackling larger sites.

Above: Ranger Facilitator Rob Lindsay, Senior Ranger and Traditional Owner Albert Myoung and Ranger Anthony McGregor Below: Transporting the quadbikes

Once it starts to rain ground access to many sites is restricted to using quads with only a small 70 litre spray unit. To increase spray and volume out put with only quad access we had a special purpose trailer built that can carry 400 litre spray unit.

The bulk of on ground work is undertaken during the wet season and once the country is flooded, accessing MalakMalak Land Trust sites become even more of a challenge. With support from Weed Risk Assessment Group we used a chopper to sling quads, equipment and people to the site area where we spend a number of days treating Gamba and trying to stay dry at night.

Crucial to our Gamba management strategy is collecting and recording data for every site and single outlier plant treated. This information is then passed on to DNRETAS Weed Management branch.

To continue and expand our Gamba (& other grassy weeds) management programme, Wangamaty (Lower Daly) Landcare Group recently submitted a Caring for our Country funding application.

One of the unexpected findings we made was a Pheasant Coucal nest in the base of a Gamba Grass plant. It seems that even this exotic weed can provide some wildlife habitat.

This article was first published in Network Notes on 15 May 2009.