Long-Term Management of Vulpia in Pastures

Vulpia (Vulpia spp.) is a common weed of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.)-based pastures throughout southern Australia, where it reduces productivity, contaminate's wool and injures livestock. Winter-cleaning pastures with simazine, and to a lesser extent spraying paraquat in spring to sterilise seed, gives good short-term control; however, vulpia produces large amounts of seed and can re-invade even dense subterraneum clover pastures. Re­invasion is least in pastures containing a companion grass. An integrated management system utilising grass in mixture with subterranean clover, livestock and the judicious use of herbicides, will be required to keep the vulpia content of pastures at a low level.