Buffel grass: a blessing and a curse - November 2002
by Mien Blom
This article was requested by 'Our Gardens, The Quaterly Journal of
the Garden Clubs of Australia' and was published in the 'Summer 2002'
edition.
Buffel grass, which has been and continuous to be
a blessing for the cattle industry has become a big problem in Central
Australia during the last ten years. Especially during the last four
or five extremely wet seasons the grass has taken over the landscape,
choking native plants at an alarming speed.
In most areas buffel grass grows to about seventy-five centimetres high.
It was first brought into the country around 1870 as padding in the
saddles of the Afghan cameleers. The grass proved to grow very well
and as it could withstand the harsh conditions of Central Australia
with its dry scorching summers and temperatures of up to ten degrees
below zero in winter, it became an absolute Godsend for the pastoralists.
Some farmers now say that the cattle only eat it while still green,
not as dry hay when is needed most. During the late sixties and early
seventies the Government ploughed and seeded large areas around Alice
Springs with buffel grass to combat the enormous dust storms in the
area. We witnessed the last of those storms shortly after we arrived
in town in November 1971.
When, in March 1991 we bought a thousand square metre block of bushland
just outside of town, there was only little ‘buffel’ in
the area. During the following years it was great to see the otherwise
dry centre turning into a green oasis when it started to rain frequently,
but it was also heartbreaking to see the buffel grass taking over. Due
to record rainfalls during the last three years there was soon no room
left for native species, on the rocky slopes of the hills as well as
on flat ground.
The highest recorded rainfall was recorded last year: 741mm. During
the first three months of this year we had 64mm. Alice Springs is now
experiencing a long dry period; the last rain was recorded in March.
The long buffel grass dries out quickly in the hot sun, creating fuel
for bushfires. Unlike the native grasses, which gives a ‘cool’
fire the buffel burns extremely hot. Even the beautiful hardened, over
a hundred years old corkwood trees at Simpsons Gap have not survived
this year’s fires.
Experiments are now being done to control the buffel grass which, due
to the great benefits to the cattle industry, is still available to
farmers as it has not yet been declared a noxious weed. The three main
methods used are controlled burning, slashing and poisoning. As the
roots keep growing after burning or slashing, removing it would be a
far better option but that is impossible at a large scale.
Because the clumps of roots only go ten to fifteen centimetres deep
it is relatively easy to remove with a mattock or a sharp hook. After
the initial removal it is then important to pull out new growth before
it gets a chance to seed. The result, seeing all those beautiful native
plants appear and thrive, was so exciting that I just kept going on
and over the rocky hill into the natural bush at the back of our property.