Interest in the fireweed killing-aphid found at Tilba is growing among South Coast farmers, while scientific work continues to identify and further study the mystery insect.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former Nowra area dairy farmer and founding member of the Kangaroo Valley Sustainable Farming Group, Robert Cochrane on the weekend travelled 250km to visit the Tilba property of Ron Snape where the aphid was first spotted about two months ago.
Mr Cochrane brought with him his grandson Alastair Urquhart, a Year 7 student at Nowra Anglican College, who has an interest in the control of fireweed and who earns extra money picking fireweed for Kangaroo Valley farmers.
The Nowra visitors were very impressed with the impact of the aphid that has all but decimated the noxious fireweed on Mr Snape’s property and are 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. “I’m so pleased but now more investigation needs to be done.”
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.
Mr Cochrane said the sustainable farming group was formed 36 years ago, about the same time that fireweed showed up on the South Coast.
The group’s focus on controlling the fireweed through picking and other measures had played a significant role in limiting the weed’s impact, but even so there were today patches of weed on certain properties where control had been less than satisfactory.
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.
And the good news is that 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 they had made an initial identification of the aphid found at Tilba, with confirmation pending the arrival of fresh samples.