Everyone’s scratching their head, but somehow an aphid hated by the cotton industry is saving pastures up and down the South Coast.
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Some are calling it a miracle as the cotton or melon aphid destroys despised fireweed from Nowra down to Bega. And scientists don’t want anything to do with it, studying a biological control in South Africa for the fireweed, while the cotton aphid is doing the attack job back home.
The first case of the cotton aphid’s potential was spotted by Bega district farmer Ron Snape. He’d seen an article in The Land about how dairyfarmers in the Shoalhaven were fighting the South African curse. Fireweed is pretty but nasty. It can cause liver failure in sheep and degrades pastures and can make cows sick . It can also degrade honey with unwanted alkaloids.
Mr Snape asked known fireweed campaigner and retired Kangaroo Valley dairyfarmer Robert Cochrane to visit his place at Tilba. Mr Cochrane was astounded by what he saw. Dead fireweed bush after bush with the cotton aphids all over them, killing the plants in all stages of growth.
Mr Cochrane wondered how the aphid had got to Mr Snape’s place. “I don’t know, all I can think is it took a ride on my christmas trees,” Mr Snape replied. Mr Snape grows christmas trees as well as running a property.
That was 12 months ago. Somehow the aphid has made its way north and is now knocking off fireweed around the Shoalhaven. The aphids are winter feeding, so everyone was surprised when they re-emerged this winter past.
Mr Cochrane is delighted. Finally fireweed is on the back foot, and there have been reports of infected plants right up to Jamberoo. “The plants are completely dehydrated by the sucking effects of the aphid,” Mr Cochrane said. “They appear to be controlling the fireweed really well, it’s great news. Cambewarra is full of it, it’s started in the Kangaroo Valley and it’s gone wonderfully well., its proliferating very quickly.”
But the authorities don’t want to know about it. Mr Cochrane and Mr Hansen visited Ag minister Niall Blair earlier this year, but they are yet to hear back. DPI scientists have travelled to South Africa to find a control agent.
Shoalhaven City Council weeds team leader Phil Hansen said the aphid was doing a wonderful control job, but wasn’t sure how long it would last, as there was no certainty the aphid would hang around. He said it was not the same as a biological agent. He saw no dangers to other types of agriculture on the coast.
John Ellicott
journalist and author
journalist and author
