{
  "id": 7924248,
  "title": "Trials to kill gazanias and help farmers reclaim paddocks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/trials-to-kill-gazanias-and-help-farmers-reclaim-paddocks",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T01:50:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-17/trials-to-help-farmers-reclaim-paddocks-from-weed-gazanias/107139334"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Australia faces a growing threat from invasive gazanias, a weed brought to the region from South Africa in the 1950s. These ornamental plants have begun to overrun valuable farmland and native ecosystems, causing significant economic losses in grain production. In response, researchers from La Trobe University have been conducting trials in the Riverland and on the Eyre Peninsula to find ways to control the pest plant. Their findings indicate that a combination of cultivation and herbicide spraying offers the best results in managing gazanias. Despite the intensive nature of cultivation, which can lead to soil erosion, researchers believe strategic use of this method could prove beneficial in the long run. However, there is currently no registered product specifically designed to combat gazanias, and farmers often resort to a mix of herbicides. The Grains Research and Development Corporation has invested $700,000 into the three-year project, with the hope that within the next year or two, new herbicide registrations will be approved to aid farmers in their battle against the invasive weed. Local farmers, like Paul Rudiger and Paul Kaesler, have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact gazanias have on their crops, as they choke out moisture and render fields unviable for cultivation. While the trials show promise, farmers are concerned that the approval process for new herbicides is taking too long, fearing that gazanias could spread across the entire state before any solutions are available. In the meantime, it is crucial for the public to adhere to restrictions banning the sale and movement of gazanias in South Australia, as these beautiful plants continue to pose a significant threat to the region's farming community and native environments.",
  "summary": "Farmers are investing in expensive approaches from deep ripping to video-sensor spraying to kill gazanias, a colourful invasive weed.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}