Bathurst bur

Bathurst bur is an erect, spiny annual herb around 1m tall with hooked, spiny fruit. It can prevent stock from feeding and can damage their hooves.

Description

• Leaves are white and hairy on the underside.
• Flowers are inconspicuous and are visible from December to April.
• Seeds dispersed by attachment to animal pelts, gravity, and water.
• Human-mediated dispersal through attachment to clothing, contamination of maize, and livestock.
• Habitats include maize crops, poultry farms, and moist and disturbed soils.

What you need to know

Burs contaminate and reduce the value of sheep wool. Spines prevent stock from grazing and can damage feet or hinder movement. Weedy in summer crops, potentially reducing crop yield. Can displace desirable pasture species.

Management approach

Community led

These organisms have not been legally declared as pests but may be of interest to the public as they occur regularly in the environment. They may be capable of causing adverse effects to the values of Waitaha/Canterbury.

Consider removing this invasive species from your property and consult your local council for appropriate disposal.

Control

Site management

Follow up treated areas three times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after two to three treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Dig or pull individual plants out. Wear gloves.

Plant parts requiring disposal: seeds.

Contact your local council for appropriate disposal locations.

Chemical control

No qualifications: Foliar spray with 100ml glyphosate per 10L of water.

Basic Growsafe certified: Foliar spray with 1g metsulfuron-methyl per 10L of water.

For crops, foliar spot spray before plants set seed with herbicide products containing metribuzin, picloram, dicamba, atrazine, and pendimethalin.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

Biological control

Biological control is currently not available for this species.