Following the wet autumn experienced in much of the State’s South West, Department of Agriculture and Food biosecurity staff are expecting increased germination of the declared pest doublegee (Emex australis).
Department biosecurity officer David Hill said doublegees were well-established in WA and had the potential to impact both agriculture and the environment.
“Doublegees are very competitive in crops, reducing yields, and the weed also contaminates wool, infests grazing land and establishes on roadsides and forest margins,” Mr Hill.
“Many people are familiar with doublegees as their spines allow them to stick to soft materials, such as the soles of livestock and human foot wear, and wheel tyres.
“Due to its impact on agriculture, we’re asking people to look out for, and report, doublegee which is one of the 20 declared weeds being targeted by the department as part of a weed surveillance project aimed at protecting industry profitability.
“The project calls for increased community surveillance for the detection and mapping of declared weeds using purpose-built technologies.”
Doublegee is a sprawling annual herb with a strong tap root and long, fleshy, hairless stems and leaves, similar to English spinach.
The plant produces tiny, inconspicuous flowers in winter, as well as distinctive woody seeds that contain three spines which are arranged in such a way that one always points up.
The weed produces two types of fruit: one underground at the base of the stem; and the other above-ground at the leaf axils. One plant can produce as many as 1100 long-living seeds, which can persist in the soil for more than four years.
Mr Hill said members of the community could identify, survey and report sightings of doublegees and other weeds using a weed surveillance tool for smart devices, MyWeedWatcher app, developed by the department.
“The MyWeedWatcher app’s identification guide allows users to search for a weed based on a plant’s characteristics, such as flower colour, leaf shape, and plant type,” he said.
“The survey/reporting feature allows users to map weeds, add images and record information such as the number and density of weeds, and details about any control activities undertaken.”
MyWeedWatcher app is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play. People who don’t have a mobile device can report sightings of doublegees and other weeds online via the department website MyWeedWatcher web.
The MyWeedWatcher app was developed as part of the department’s Agricultural weed surveillance in the South West activity of the Boosting Biosecurity Defences project, made possible by the State Government’s Royalties for Regions program.
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Dionne Tindale, Jodie Thomson, media liaison +61 (0)8 8368 3937