Asparagus weeds - Weeds Australia

Planning and pre-controlconsiderationsPlan before you controlGood weed management is about good landmanagement and, as with most managementefforts, planning plays an important part. You maybe tempted to ‘jump straight in’, but it is critical toplan your weed management program thoroughlybefore undertaking control activities. A wellthought out plan that takes a strategic approachcan:• make weed management tasks easier and moreachievable,• help reduce the damage done by weeds orweed management activities,• prevent re-invasion in the long-term, and• save time, effort and money now and into thefuture.Weed management is a long-term exercise, so themost systematic and effective way to deal with aweed problem is to create and implement a plan.Developing and following a weed managementplan is important because:• it will be an essential information andcommunication tool,• data that is gathered will form the basis forinformed decision making and adaptivemanagement,• it will help prioritise the use of limitedresources,• it will help identify the best means of controland, in turn,• it will increase your chances of successfullymanaging the weed problem in the mosteffective way.This section discusses some of the main issuesthat need to be considered when developinga management plan for your site. It includesinformation on where to start and a managementchecklist.This information is based on the‘Introductory Weed ManagementManual’ published by the CooperativeResearch Centre (CRC) for AustralianWeed Management (2004b), which isavailable for internet download fromwww.environment.gov.au.This manual is not the sole source of informationand other texts should be referred to whereappropriate.Asparagus weed management plans should be: Targeted to achieve both long-term andshort-term objectives. Able to respond to changes in theenvironment (e.g. fires, storms and otherweeds). Based on immediate site conditions withrespect to the broader landscape (e.g.neighbouring weed and native populationsand how they may affect your program). Consistent with existing strategies andplans. Informed by work already occurring in thecommunity or region. Equipped with monitoring actions.30