Interest in the fireweed-killing aphid found at Tilba is growing among South Coast farmers.
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Former Nowra area dairy farmer and founding member of the Kangaroo Valley Sustainable Farming Group, Robert Cochrane travelled 250km to visit the Tilba property of Ron Snape where the aphid was first spotted about two months ago.
He was very impressed with the impact of the aphid on Mr Snape’s property and is calling on scientific experts to put more resources into identifying and studying the aphid.
“I’m excited and relieved to see that nature has sent a species along that is going to eradicate it,” Mr Cochrane said.
Both Mr Cochrane and Mr Snape are disappointed with the initial response from the scientific community and want studies to be done to identify the aphid and how it can be carried over when the fireweed naturally declines during the hot summer months.
Scientists and weed experts initially downplayed the role the aphid could have in controlling fireweed but interest has grown since the impact the insect is having on fireweed has become obvious.
There have been further sightings of the black aphid at properties at Mystery Bay, Cobargo and even Tanja much further to the south.
A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Primary Industries said an initial identification of the aphid found at Tilba has been made, with confirmation pending the arrival of fresh samples and molecular analysis.
The scientific community at the state and federal level however remains focused on the official biological control agents in South Africa.
The DPI and CSIRO are part of a collaborative biological control program to better manage fireweed at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa.
NSW DPI Weed Research Unit leader, Dr Kerinne Harvey is currently in South Africa working with UKZN research team.
But Mr Cochrane and Mr Snape said regardless of the longer-term South African studies, they would like to see more resources and emphasis put on the mystery Tilba aphid.
Mr Snape has made a personal crusade to have the aphid he found further studied, even going to the Eurobodalla Shire Council to plead for further studies, as well as his local state member.
Mr Cochrane has been working with Shoalhaven Council’s weed inspector, who last week was attending a state weed conference and was going to spread the word about the aphid. He had also been in contact with his local State Member, Gareth Ward to see if he could speed up research on the aphid.
And both men challenged the scientists from the DPI and CSIRO to come to the Tilba property.
“I would like the CSIRO to come down and see what impact the aphid is having and failing that there needs to be an independent investigation,” Mr Snape said. “We don’t know when the South African beetle will be ready and it could be years yet, while the aphid is having this massive impact right now.”