Eighteenth Australasian Weeds Conference

Effects of pine oil, sugar and covers on germination of serrated tussock

(Nassella trichotoma) and kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) in a Pot Trial
David A. McLaren1,2, Masha Fridman1 and Julio Bonilla1
1
Department of Primary Industries, Victorian AgriBiosciences Centre, Bundoora, VIC 3083
2
La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086
(david.mclaren@dpi.vic.gov.au)

Summary Weeds cost Australia more than $4.5 of oxygen and that the bacteria would also have
billion in control and lost production costs based on some direct pathogenic impacts to seeds. Addition
present day figures (Sinden et al. 2004). Many of these of sugar has been shown to reduce germination of
weed issues could have been prevented had proactive chilean needle grass in a grassland seed inundation
eradication of new weed infestations had taken place. trial (Faithfull 2012).
The evolution of weed control practices now places an This experiment was set up to investigate the ef-
extremely high emphasis on eradication of new weed fects of the essential oil (pine-oil) and carbon (sugar)
incursions before their populations become an uncon- and whether the possible fumigant effects of the essen-
trollable scourge on agriculture and the environment. tial oil could be improved through addition of covers
A key component of a weed eradication programs is and/or carbon. Mechanical damage to seeds, especially
destroying or controlling the weed seed bank (Panetta in the seed coat, makes seeds more susceptible to
2004). The use of conventional herbicides for weed invasion by microbes (Kremer and Spencer 1989).
seed bank control is confined to pre-emergent her- This experiment was designed to use the essential
bicides or soil fumigants. Increasingly, the reliance oil (pine-oil) to inflict some damage to the seed coat
on use of synthetic herbicides has resulted in envi- and the consequent application of carbon (sugar) to
ronmental (Freemark and Boutin 1995) and human provide a pulse (priming) of bacteria to rot down the
health (Cox and Surgan 2006, Weisenberger 1993) weed seeds. We selected Nassella trichotoma (Nees)
issues and is also leading to increasing incidences of Hack. ex Arechav and Themeda trianda (R.Br.) Stapf
herbicidal resistance among many weed species (Heap as biassay plants with a view to testing whether pine-
2001). Therefore, efforts to develop alternative means oil could be developed as a weed suppressant or as a
of weed control, which are not only eco-friendly, but novel organic bioherbicide. We also wanted to com-
also cost effective and biologically robust are required pare a relatively small seeded weedy C3 exotic grass
(Duke et al. 2002). (N. trichotoma) to an indigenous large seeded C4 grass
Essential oils comprise a complex mix of volatile (T. trianadra) and whether there were any differential
low-molecular weight isoprenoids, monoterpenes and impacts. This experiment seeks to identify organic
sequisterpenes and some exhibit herbicidal activity techniques for managing weed seed banks. If this
(Angelini et al. 2003, Koli et al. 1998, Mathews et al. technique is effective on N. trichotoma it could then be
2006, Batish et al. 2004, Tworkoski 2002). Pine-oil utilised for eradication of other priority weed species
has been used with some success to control branched seed banks. This would be especially applicable to
broomrape (Orobanche ramaosa) seed banks in a Nassella tenuissima, where the majority of infestations
South Australia weed eradication program. (Mathews requiring eradication of the seed bank occur in urban
et al. 2006). situations where organic techniques would be prefer-
Carbon addition (sugar, wood chips, sawdust) to able to conventional synthetic herbicides.
soil has been shown to increase microbial populations This experiment compared 5 rates of pine-oil (0,
and CO2 production as a consequence while also re- 0.1, 0.25, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0% v/v) to 4 rates of carbon
ducing soil nitrogen (Eschen et al. 2007, Jonasson et applied as sugar or molasses (sugar: 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.31
al. 1996). Reducing soil nitrogen has been shown to kg C m-2; molasses: 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.31 kg C m-2) and two
generally be more beneficial to indigenous grassland types of cover (nil and plastic) and two grass species,
species compared to exotic species (Eschen et al. N. trichotoma (a small seeded C3 exotic weed) and T.
2007). Sokoloff (1951) showed that the addition of triandra (a large seeded C4 indigenous grass). A herbi-
molasses (carbon) to compacted soil, reduced seed cide treatment (flupropanate, 2 L ha-1) was included to
germination of a range of grass and weed species. He enable comparison to a traditional control technique.
postulated that this was due to the anaerobic growth Experiments were undertaken as a glass house pot
of bacteria that deprived the seeds in the seed bank trial with all treatments replicated 3 times in a fully

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Eighteenth Australasian Weeds Conference

randomised block design. For each treatment pot (175 Cox, C. and Surgan, M. (2006). Unidentified inert
mm diameter), 500 N. trichotoma and 50 T. trianda ingredients in pesticides: Implications for human
seeds were counted and spread evenly onto the top of health and the environment. Environmental Health
a soil commercial potting mix and covered with 1 cm Perspectives. 114, 1803-1806.
of the same soil potting mix soil and pots were watered Duke, S.O., Dayan, F.E., Rimando, A.M., Schrader,
a day before treatment to imbibe seeds. Pine-oil was K.K., Aliotta, G., Oliva, A. and Romagni,
applied using a watering can at a rate of 20 000 L ha-1 J.G. (2002). Chemicals from nature for weed
which was the equivalent rate applied in the South management. Weed Science 50, 138–151.
Australian branched broomrape program (Mathews Echen, R., Mortimer, S.R., Lawson, C.S., Edwards,
et al. 2006). Carbon treatments were applied directly A.R., Brook, A.J., Igual, J.M., Hedlund, K. and
after pine-oil application and were spread evenly Schaffner, U. (2007). Carbon addition alters
across the pot surface. Plastic (100 μm) covers were vegetation composition on ex-arable fields. Jour-
applied last to the pot surface with the cover edge be- nal of Applied Ecology 44, 95-104.
ing pushed into the soil around the pot circumference Freemark, K.E. and Boutin, C. (1995). Impacts
ensuring an airtight seal. Covers were removed from of agricultural herbicide use on terrestrial
treatments 1 week after application. wildlife in temperate landscapes: A review with
Compared to untreated control treatments, pot special reference to North America. Agricultural
trial seed bank experiments show strong interactions Ecosystems and Environments 52, 67-91.
between pine-oil and sugar with N. trichotoma seed Heap, I. (2001). The International Survey of Herbicide
germinations reduced by 98–100%. This is a compara- Resistant Weeds. Available at www.weedscience.
ble result to the grass selective herbicide, flupropanate com.
applied as a pre-emergent herbicide and suggests that Faithfull, I.G. (2012). ‘Biodiversity impacts of Chilean
organic seed bank manipulations with essential oils needle grass, Nassella neesiana to Australia’s
and carbon could be used as a management tool in indigenous grasslands’. PhD thesis, (Victoria
appropriate circumstances. Covers increased the ef- University of Technology).
fectiveness of pine-oil applications in reducing seed Jonasson, S., Michelson, A. and Schmidt, K. (1996).
germination by approximately 30% for N. trichotoma Microbial biomass C, N and P in two arctic soils
in all pine-oil treatments. This trend also occurred and responses to addition of NPKfertiliser and
for T. triandra but was not as significant at the 0.5% sugar: implications for plant nutrient uptake.
pine-oil concentration. This highlights the importance Oecologia 106, 507-515.
of the volatile activity of essential oils and provides Kohli, R.K., Batish, D.R. and Singh, H.P. (1998).
some evidence for future investigations to improve Eucalyptus oils for the control of Parthenium
essential oil efficacy. The paper discusses how the (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) Crop Protection
combined actions of the essential oils and carbon may 17 (2), 199-122.
be depriving the soil seed bank of oxygen resulting in Kremer, R.J. and Spencer, N.R. (1989). Impact of
reduced germination as a consequence. a seed-feeding insect and microorganisms on
velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) seed viability.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Weed Science 37, 211-216.
The authors wish to thank the Victorian Government Mathews, T., Miegel, D. and Hayton, D. (2006). Seed
for supplying the necessary resources for undertak- bank and seed bank reduction of Orobanche ra-
ing this research and Certified Organics Pty Ltd. mosa in South Australia. In, 15th Australian Weeds
for the supply essential oil products tested in this Conference, (eds) C. Preston, J.H.Watts and N.D.
project. Crossman pp. 626-628 (Weed Management Soci-
ety of South Australia, Adelaide).
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Sokoloff, V.P. (1951). Biological control of weeds Weisenberger, D.D. (1993). Human health effects
in compacted soil cultures. Science 14, 271-274. of agrichemical use. Human Pathology 24(6),
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