Eradication? of Hudson Pear at Mundubbera – or Just Luck!

Chris Love, Dow AgroSciences&

Jodie Sipple, Biosecurity Qld

Class 1: Hudson Pear(Cylindropuntia rosea)Classified as a Class 1 weed in

Queensland in 2002

Samples taken in July 2005

• Sample of cactus taken to Qld Herbarium by “weed-aware” grazier– Identification unknown

• Property owner has not received official written notification on the correct ID of cactus

01-July-2005 – First Noticed

01-Jul-2005: Second Observation

06-May-200846 months after application

First Biosecurity Qld Contact

• Initial contact with the owner made in Dec 2007– second specimen taken to Herbarium in

Feb 08• First reported on ABC rural radio in an

interview on 27-Feb-2008– deadly Hudson pear found at Mundubbera

News clipping (27-Feb-08)• A CACTUS so tough that

its spines can penetrate boots and car tyres has been found growing at Mundubbera, 400km northwest of Brisbane.

• PAINFUL . . . experts fear the hudson pear cactus, which can cause horrible injuries and even death, might be about to spread through parts of Queensland.

Potential Source

• Specimen found in house garden– 29-Dec-2007

• Planted at least 35 years ago

Potted plant from Garden: 24-Mar-2008

Potted plant from Garden: 21-Jan-2009

Potted plant from Paddock: 21-Jan-2009

2007: Later findings

• Follow-up inspection of previous known sites on 29-Dec-2007– Controlled new

plants that were found

– 24-Mar-2008

Decay of Cactus, 3MAA

Young Cactus, 29-Dec-2007

Cactus (23-Mar-2008) furthest point from house so far

Closest point to house

Cactus: 24-Mar-2008

Cactus (large): 24-Mar-08

Cactus (large): 25-Apr-08

Young Cactus: 24-Mar-2008

Field Survey: 6-8 May 2008• Helen Haapakoski

– DPI, Cabooluture• John Pieters

– Weeds Officer, Mundubbera• Clyde McGaw

– DPI, Ipswich• Jodie Sipple

– LPO, Murgon• Erin Lawless

– Kilkivan• Maurice,

– Weeds Officer, Nanango• Photographer:

– Chris Love

Survey Team: 07-May-2008

New Sighting: 06-May-2008

New Sighting: 14-May-2008, 8DAA

New Sighting: 21-May-2008, 15DAA

New Sighting: 04-July-2008, 59DAA

Main Plant with fragments

Cactus - fragment

Follow-up to Field Survey

• 03-Sep-2008– Jodie Sipple, John Pieters, Clyde McGaw,

Neale Jensen and landholder– dug out existing plants treated in May 2008

and placed into 44 gallon drums• idea was to remove & burn to reduce risk of

spreading segments via native wildlife– follow-up treatment with Access + diesel

carried out at irregular intervals

Next Follow-up to Field Survey

• 20-Mar-2009– Jodie Sipple, John Pieters, Clyde McGaw,

Neale Jensen and landholder– new infestation found in February 2009

• located and surveyed around this area• treated new specimen with Access + diesel

– Original area surveyed again• long grass made inspection difficult

– another 25 individual plants found (all small).

New Identification?

• May 2009– Cylindropuntia tunicate– by hudson pear expert from NSW

• from samples collected from property that are now located at AFRS

– This species sets viable seed so this species is probably worse than hudsonpear from an eradication viewpoint

Qld Country Life :09-Jul-2009

Where to from here?

• Eradication: not realistic, but hopeful• there will be no luck involved in this process

• Management: on-going

• Vigilance will be the key to containing the spread of this Class 1 cactus species

Acknowledgements

• John Pieters, Weeds Officer– North Burnett Regional Council

• mapping the infestation

• Dow AgroSciences• supply of Access™ Herbicide

• Jodie Sipple & Biosecurity staff• provision of staff to conduct initial & follow-up

surveys