Project Description

How is your council dealing with the use of Glyphosate? Do they have the latest information?

At the November 17 meeting of the Chemicals In the Management of Biodiversity Working Group (CIMB) the findings from the recently released report on alternative glyphosate treatments, commissioned by Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), were presented by report authors, Associate Professor Lambert Bräu and Dr Lee Hudek.

The 2020 experimental undertaking, “Comparative Analyses of Glyphosate Alternative Weed Management Strategies on Plant Coverage, Soil and Soil Biota” will be of interest to any land manager or on-ground practitioner considering alternatives to glyphosate in bushland management.

Also speaking on the night was Lee James (Bushland Coordinator-Kingston Council), who outlined how the results of the MAV report impacted on the decision of Kingston Council to overturn their glyphosate ban.

With interest in glyphosate alternatives at an all time high, the MAV project looked at the seasonal effectiveness of nine non-glyphosate-based alternative weed management strategies (glufosinate, imazapyr, MCPA + dicamba, prodiamine, pine oil, clove oil, nonanoic acid, acetic acid + hydrochloric acid and steam). Assessments were undertaken of the impacts of the various weed management strategies on weed coverage, soil physiochemical, arthropod and microbial abundance.

Overall, glyphosate provided the most consistent weed reduction during this experiment, without any recorded negative off-target or soil biota impacts.

View the report here https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/20/11454.

Find out more about the Chemicals In the Management of Biodiversity Working Group

Time Stamps for the meeting

  • 0:00:00 Welcome and Introduction- Patrick Deasey, CIMB Chair
  • 0:06:00 Lambert Brau and Lee Hudek from Deakin University’s Life & Environmental Sciences -Soil Health Group.
  • 0:38:00 Lee James, who is the Bushland Coordinator for Kingston Council
  • 0:49:30 Questions and Answers
  • 0:50:05 (Lambert & Lee H) Did you account for the variation between annual and perennial and Monocots vs Dicots?
  • 0:52:20 (Lambert & Lee H) Several questions on steam treatment data and efficiencies of the steam treatment methodology.
  • 0:58:30 (Lambert & Lee H)Was there a full species list undertaken before and after treatments?
  • 1:00:15 (Lee James) Why have a ban on glyphosate around schools when it has been deemed safe?
  • 1:01:15 (Lee James) What was the community response to the overturning of the ban, and what communication tools did you use?
  • 1:03:00 (Lee James)What training do you have to provide to your operators?
  • 1:04:54 (Lambert & Lee H) Do you have any thoughts on sequential treatments?
  • 1:08:05 Lambert & Lee H) Are there any other issues around glyphosate you’d like to explore further? (Aquatic/sensitive, areas, long-term impacts, low-risk treatments)
  • 1:11:00 Were there any negative impacts on soil biota?
  • 1:13:00 Thanks and meeting wrap up. Upcoming events , AABR membership, keep in touch

Read More:

Kingston Council Meeeting: 27 September council meeting, use the following link  http://stream.kingston.vic.gov.au/archive/video21-0927.php  (Item 10.3 from 2:05 to 2:43)

Media Release: Glyphosate endorsed for use in low-risk, low traffic areas of Kingston – Kingston City Council

Herald Sun :KINGSTON council is rethinking its use of potentially cancer-causing weed killer.