Asparagus weeds - Weeds Australia

Stop and Think!Site-specific management:minimising spray drift andoff-target damageIn areas where there is a good ground coverof native plants, some land managers havefound that some off-target damage may beprevented and herbicide coverage improved ifthey bundle up and tie asparagus stems priorto foliar spraying.Asparagus aethiopicus bundled prior to sprayingWendy MidgleyAsparagus declinatus does not readilyabsorb sprayed herbicide due to itswaxy foliage. To overcome this problem,practitioners should add a penetrant orspray oil to their spray mixture. Best resultsfor spot spraying occur when the plant isflowering in late winter. Follow-up controlis required to treat subsequent seedlingsthat emerge after primary control.Splatter gunSplatter guns are not widely used on asparagusweeds, but may be effective, so this techniquewarrants further investigation. This techniqueis widely used on lantana and bitou bush.The method involves applying a low volumeof concentrated herbicide mix to foliage. Aspecialized nozzle produces a solid stream of largedroplets of herbicide that can be applied from adistance of 6–10 m away. Only a small portion ofthe foliage needs to be sprayed, thus non-targetdamage can be minimized. This technique is usefulin difficult to access areas and for specificallytargeting the herbicide to the plant. The use of amarker dye is recommended to identify treatedplants.Alternatively, if asparagus is growing overnative shrubs, the climbing branches can bequickly cut off to get the asparagus foliageonto the ground for spraying. This assists intargeting herbicide spray to asparagus foliageand saves time in untangling asparagus fromnative plants.Foliar spot spraying of A. plumosus regrowth afterinitially cutting vines has been used effectivelyin Iluka Nature Reserve (see case study on page93).Hillary CherrySplatter gun equipment63