Cooperative Research Centre For Australian Weed Management

The CRC for Australian Weed Management (CRCAWM) was initiated in 2001 as the second phase of the successful CRC for Weed Management Systems (CRCWMS) and completes its current term in June 2008. Both CRCs are commonly referred to as the Weeds CRC. A new Invasive Plants Cooperative Research Centre (IPCRC) has been proposed to continue the work of weeds research and development at a national level.

The report examines the return on investment of the Australian weed biological control (biocontrol) effort. The study has been funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management (Weeds CRC). The findings of this study are reported in two sections: Section I - Overview of methodology and findings; and Section II - Detailed cost benefit analysis (CBA) of biocontrol projects.

This peer-reviewed publication contains the proceedings from the Weeds CRC Biological Control of Weeds Symposium held in Perth on September 13, 2002. The Weeds CRC's work in biological control is presented as well as an introduction to the current research that will continue Australia's world class contributions to general principles of biological control. Content encompasses the prioritisation, selection, testing, evaluation, predictability, acceptability and assessment of the economic and ecological effectiveness of biological control agents for weeds.

New economic research undertaken by the Weeds CRC through the University of New England has established that the annual cost of weeds to Australian agriculture exceeds $3.5 billion, and may be as high as $4.5 billion per year. The figure varies because of seasonal conditions, commodity prices and weed infestations, but on average the estimate is an annual net loss of $4 billion. This updates the estimate of $2 billion per year for 1981-82 by Combellack, and compares with estimates for salinity of an annual net loss of $200 million.

With herbicide resistance a growing concern in Australia's cropping industries, the IWM manual describes a broad range of chemical and nonchemical tactics for weed management aimed at reducing the weed seedbank and also reliance on herbicides. The manual is largely written for farm advisors with contributions from some of Australia's leading weed scientists.