Serrated tussock is a type of grass plant which originated in the South American countries of Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru. It was first recorded in Australia in the early 1900’s, but it was not until 1937 that it was assessed as a potential weed.

Serrated tussock is now one of the most serious weed problems of the west and central grazing areas in Victoria. At the height of the problem it was well established within the Melbourne-Geelong-Ballarat area on about 130,000 hectares. Due to continued work by landowners the estimated coverage has been reduced to around 82,000 hectares. Over the years a number of farmers have found themselves in financial difficulty because the tussock has substantially reduced their livestock carrying capacity.

If left untreated, serrated tussock will rapidly replace native tussocks and grasses and seriously reduce the agricultural capacity of the affected land. In fact, serrated tussock is regarded as the weed which causes greater reductions in carrying capacity than any other plant in Australia.

Infestations covering whole farms have occurred in New South Wales, Tasmania, New Zealand and South Africa. Control measures in these areas have been costly and time consuming, involving strict quarantine on the movement of vehicles, fodder and stock.

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