The OzFish Eurobodalla Chapter has been working with South-East Local Land Services and Eurobodalla Landcare to remove wandering trad using a novel biocontrol approach and re-establish native vegetation.
A new approach to weed control
A Brazilian fungus known as ‘leaf-smut’ has been trialled by the CSIRO over the past couple of years and is now being rolled out as a ‘natural pathogen’ which attacks wandering trad while leaving other vegetation unaffected.
Wondering trad, a smothering plant
Originally introduced from South America as an ornamental plant, wandering trad dominated when it takes hold and chokes native plants, rivers and ecosystems.The smut fungus is native to the same ecosystem as wandering trad and is known to invade the leaf of the trad and deplete the cells of the plant of nutrients.
A safer alternative
While it takes a couple of years for the fungus to work its magic, it is a safer alternative to the use of herbicides within riparian areas where there is a very high risk of off-target damage as many herbicides are toxic to aquatic environments.
Community revegetation
Volunteer recreational fishers from the OzFIsh Eurobodalla Chapter spent a morning at Shallow Crossing with Eurobodalla Landcare and South-East Local Land Services to plant 600 native trees and shrubs that will grow in the place of wandering trad as it eradicates over time.
This project was made possible by OzFish’s Driving Fish Habitat Action partnership with Landcare NSW with funding support from NSW Local Land Services and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.
