Chilean needle-grass seeds have a raised crown (corona), a ridge of small teeth circling the awn (bristle), located at the junction of the seed and the awn. Stock should be removed from affected areas between late October and March to avoid stock damage, Enforced containment measures can be restrictive and inconvenient. These species can be distinguished by the following differences: Chilean needlegrass (Nassella neesiana) has seeds with relatively long awns (more than … ID and impacts – Eragrostis curvula. Life Form Codes: Medium to Small Tufted Graminoid (MTG) EVC types: EVC 132_61: Heavier-soils Plains Grassland . & Rupr. New Zealand Novachem agrichemical manual. To find this weed you will need to become familiar with a few key identification features described below. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Victoria. 1 cm 1 cm 1 cm Chilean Needle Grass Leaves - 1-5 mm wide and up to 30 cms long. It is also a Weed of National Significance. Chilean Needle Grass Nassella neesiana Detect this pest plant before it becomes a problem Contact us: If you see this plant on your property or need help to identify a plant in the Wellington Region, contact us on 0800 496 734 or email pest.plants@gw.govt.nz. Keith Turnbull Research Institute, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Frankston. Stock should not be allowed to graze as damage from the seeds is inevitable. Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana) Note: each of the images on this page links to a larger, more detailed version of that image in order to help you identify this pest plant. How to identi fy Chilean needle grass. The corkscrew-like, Leaves are bright green, 1-5 mm wide and up to 30 cm long. 4.1 Identification Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana) is an erect, tufted, perennial grass, harsh to the touch (Bourdôt & Ryde 1986; Edgar & Connor 2000). It is also a Weed of National Significance. Tim Struthers, who farms in the Blind River area, Marlborough, New Zealand, talking about management techniques for farming a property that has been affected by Chilean needle grass … Flower/seed: The sharp panicle (aerial) seed is approximately 10mm in length. Chilean needle grass is an extremely invasive grassy weed. Chilean needle grass may have the potential to spread to 15 million ha nationwide, mainly on the East Coast of both islands. Seed heads up to 30 cm long are present from mid-October to early January. Chilean needle grass is a tussocky perennial in the speargrass group of grasses growing to about 1 m high. Tim Struthers, who farms in the Blind River area, Marlborough, New Zealand, talking about management techniques for farming a property that has been affected by Chilean needle grass … See the Nassella species identification comparison table below for more information on identification. • Native spear grass pictured below lacking a corona. or We then parameterize the surveillance support model for Chilean needle grass [CNG; Nassella neesiana (Trin. • The corona is contained in the red circle below (in Chilean needle grass) • Native spear-grasses have no corona. Chilean needle grass is a perennial (long-lived) tussock-forming grass growing to 1 metre in height. They can be carried to other sites by attaching to clothes, footwear, animals, vehicles, and farm machinery, as well as in soil or contaminated feed, After flowering, hidden flowers at the base of the flower stems produce flowers that never open but still produce viable seeds. Identification of Chilean needle grass Chilean needle grass is an erect, tufted, perennial grass. The awns do not readily detach from the seed and they often twist together at maturity. Chilean needle grass is spread long distances (between districts or regions) by human activities on clothing and footwear, animals (domestic and stock), vehicles, machinery and equipment as well as in soil, mud and contaminated feed. Austrostipa seeds do not have this feature. Flowering time. Panicle seed is the most obvious and is usually present November-January and, when conditions are suitable, March-May. Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Napier, New Zealand. How can I prevent Chilean needle grass from spreading to my property? Chilean needlegrass (Nassella neesiana) is very similar similar to lobed needlegrass (Nassella charruana), cane needlegrass (Nassella hyalina), Texas needlegrass (Nassella leucotricha) and short-spined needlegrass (Nassella megapotamia). Chilean Needle Grass is a WoNS because of its ability to spread quickly and out-compete pasture and native grasses. Chilean Needle Grass is a WoNS because of its ability to spread quickly and out-compete pasture and native grasses. Chilean needle grass also has a more sinister side. The seeds of Chilean needle grass are pale brown when mature, warty in texture, and hairless except along the midrib and near the callus (the base of the seed). This grass can severely reduce pasture productivity and contaminate hay. As each square metre of infes-tation produces up to 12,000 seeds, it can quickly degrade native grasslands and pastures. Chilean Needle Grass, sometimes mistaken for native spear grass, is a perennial tussock-forming grass and is one of 32 declared Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) in Australia. The growth and spread of the plant must be controlled in accordance with local management plans published by each local council and the plant must not be sold, propagated or knowingly distributed. The leaves are 1 to 5 mm wide, flat and strongly ribbed on their upper surface, with leaf edges that are rough to … Agrimedia Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand. See the grasses identification table below for further assistance in distinguishing between lobed needle grass and other species. Chilean needle grass is listed as a class 4 noxious weed in all council areas within the Molonglo Catchment. Identification of the plant is very difficult, other when it is in flower, as it is very similar to native spear grasses. Gardener, M., Sindel, B. and Whalley, R. 1999. Chilean needle grass More topics in this section This Weed Risk Management Assessment uses a series of questions to arrive at scores for weed risk and feasibility of coordinated control for this weed, and displays the necessary management actions derived from these scores. If used alone such herbicides will provide a good seedbed for Chilean needle grass seeds in the soil. Chilean needle grass can cause negative effects to farming and economic well-being. Chilean needle grass is an extremely invasive grassy weed. Chilean needle grass More topics in this section This Weed Risk Management Assessment uses a series of questions to arrive at scores for weed risk and feasibility of coordinated control for this weed, and displays the necessary management actions derived from these scores.