{"id":7692,"date":"2022-10-12T01:55:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T01:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=7692"},"modified":"2022-10-12T05:57:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T05:57:21","slug":"all-pig-tracks-lead-to-pond-apple","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/all-pig-tracks-lead-to-pond-apple\/","title":{"rendered":"All pig tracks lead to pond apple"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/cardwell-and-edmund-kennedy-national-park-1675×683-1.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]FISH HOMES AND HIGHWAYS PROJECT[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789112768{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]ALL PIG TRACKS LEAD TO POND APPLE[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1665537263852{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]12 OCTOBER 2022[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1665539687872{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]More than 22,000 pond apple trees have been hand treated along creeks in the Upper Murray region this year in an effort to blitz the invasive species that is being spread by flood. Following the treatment of 115 hectares<\/a><\/strong> last year, ground teams have expanded their search to take in Corduroy and Boar Creeks in the Murray catchment.<\/p>\n

A weed of national significance, pond apple was introduced to Australia in 1912 as grafting stock for commercial custard apple crops and is now a major environmental weed in the Wet Tropics. Removal work is part of Terrain NRM\u2019s \u201cFish Homes and Highways\u201d project and is funded by the Australian Government\u2019s Reef Trust.<\/p>\n

Terrain\u2019s Deb Bass says the spread of pond apple is especially worrying for its potential to impact mangroves.<\/p>\n

\u201cPond apple forms dense stands in swampy areas and is capable of replacing mangrove or freshwater wetland ecosystems if left unchecked. We\u2019ve treated approximately 150 hectares this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seeds are usually spread in big quantities in flood waters so the ground team is working from the upstream reaches out toward the coast. Feral pigs are also proving to be prolific seed spreaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhilst pond apple is not considered good to eat by humans, feral pigs think the fruit is pretty tasty. \u00a0The weed team are guaranteed to find big clumps of pond apple when they follow the pig tracks into the forests,\u201d said Ms Bass.<\/p>\n

The silver lining is that the seed bank is only viable for two years. Some weeds have seeds that will germinate many years later, but pond apple can be effectively controlled by treating the same area two years in a row.<\/p>\n

Ms Bass said it is critical that weed management programs are properly funded and managed.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1665539981120{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"Terrain<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t just hit something for one year and walk away or it\u2019s wasted time and money. The majority of the area we\u2019re working on is private property, but large stands of pond apple have also been found in neighbouring nature refuges and parks, which demonstrates the need for combined control efforts from different land management bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other actions being taken to address threats to wetland habitat include aerial spraying of 60 hectares of hymenachne, 300 hectares of feral pig control, and two hectares of riparian revegetation.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/what-we-do\/biodiversity\/coastal-ecosystems\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1598408950187{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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