Hi Amanda, What can we do to get our olive growers to control the huge number of wild olive seedlings growing on the roadsides and waterways
As I drive around our state I see dozens of wild olive seedlings growing in the adjoining areas to our olive groves. They are spreading like weeds and if we don’t take some responsibility for them we will have caused the spread of one of the worst environmental weeds imaginable.
Our olive grower associations should be encouraging our growers to grub out the seedling on all public land near their groves.
Feral European olives are a major pest plant in native vegetation where they displace native species and degrade fauna habitat.
The oil-rich trees burn with great heat and are a significant hazard in bushfires.
Feral Olives are a declared plant under the Natural Resources Management Act 2004 (NRM Act).
Cultivated trees, planted and maintained for use, are not declared.
Local birds consume the fruit and spread seeds into bushland where Feral Olive Trees emerge and invade and destroy local vegetation.
Feral Olive Trees also cause problem with extra pressure from pest & disease for commercial producers.
Here is some information about Feral Olive Control
A trial for reducing costs of controls: Cheaper control method shows promise
Photo Credit: Natural Resources SA
Hi.
Recently I stumbled upon a small native lace wing which has taken a liking to european olives. It is prolific in the SE corner of Victoria. This little bug is relatively immobile, happily living its entire life on one leaf. It can fly but only a metre or so. It can therefore only be distributed any distance by conscious human intervention – making it an ideal biological control.
With the explosion of feral olives in the Adelaide Hills and growing concerns in other parts of Aust, surely the time has come to consider something like this native lace bug.
What would it take for our politicians to take an interest and support some trials?