Bathurst region farmers told to look out for Chilean needle grass

The weed has been popping up across the region and beyond.

Chilean needle grass grows in tussocks about one metre high, and can be found in pastures and native grasslands.

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Upper Macquarie County Council (UMCC) biosecurity operations manager Chris Jackson said its similarities to other plants can make it hard to identify.

"It's quite an invasive plant. It looks quite similar to a lot of the native spear grasses, so often it gets misidentified," he said.

"It's one of the only plants that has the coloured ring around the corona, which is one of the main ways to help identify it for people that are not quite sure."

The weed grows all year around, but tends starts to seeding around spring.

According to the UMCC, Chilean needle grass proves virtually impossible to eradicate if it is allowed to establish in an area and to set seed.

"The main reason it's on our list, in terms of the priority side of things, is the invasiveness of it, the injury it can cause to stock, especially their eyes and it can burrow into their meat and through their skin, and then from an agricultural point of view ... you've got downgrading to hides and meat carcasses, and quality of wool," Mr Jackson said.

The weed can spread to properties from animals, vehicles, and machinery, and farmers are encouraged to take steps to prevent it establishing.

"The main thing is to be aware of it, especially feeding fodder," Mr Jackson said.

"If they are buying stock in, knowing where the stock is coming from. Are they are coming from a clean area or an area that's potentially got the plant? Then potentially quarantine those animals for a period of time to make sure they don't spread it around their place."

Vehicle movement should also be monitored.

If Chilean needle grass does end up on their property, Mr Jackson said there are a couple of options available to farmers to eradicate it.

"If they find the odd individual plant, the best bet is to just physically remove it, so take the plant and the root system all in one go," he said.

"If they start to find areas that are bigger than just being able to physically remove those individual plants, then they have to move to a herbicide option."

People who want to learn more about the weed can check the UMCC website.

Mr Jackson also encouraged people to make use of the NSW Weed Wise website or to download the equivalent app.

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