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Cloncurry buffel grass (Cenchrus pennisetiformis)

Introduced for pasture and dust control, buffel grass is used in Australia as a drought-resistant pasture grass that thrives in sandy soils. It creates costs for managing fire risks and protecting biodiversity and infrastructure, and some pastoralists are concerned that productivity in buffel grass-dominated pastures can decline over time.

Key facts

Type: Weed, grass.

Native to: Tropical and subtropical Africa, India and Indonesia.

Established in: QLD, NSW, SA, WA, NT.

Best time to act: Apply glyphosate when plants are actively growing; flupropanate can be applied at any growth stage, including when plants have hayed off.

Identification

  • A perennial grass up to one metre high, it forms dense tussocks with erect stems.
  • Its leaves are bluish-green and may have a reddish tinge when young.
  • Leaves are hairy, flat or folded, pointed at the tips, and up to 30 cm long and 1.3 cm wide.
  • Flowers have one to four purplish spikelets.
  • The seed head is a hairy, cylindrical spike up to 15 cm long and 2 cm wide.

Where it grows

In Australia, buffel grass is naturalised in areas near Alice Springs and in western Queensland, and thrives in sandy soils.

Why it matters

  • Buffel grass supports intense fires, and quick regrowth can support frequent subsequent fires.
  • Intense, frequent fires can affect native trees and reduce the overstory and topfeed in woodlands.
  • It threatens riparian systems and high-conservation-value aquatic ecosystems, and can inhibit native ground-layer plants.
  • It can reduce biodiversity and the diversity of livestock diets, and may impede overland waterflow.

How it spreads

  • It spreads readily where soils have a crumbly or loose, soft surface, such as in Central Australia.
  • In southern parts of the Northern Territory, seeds can spread on people, animals, machinery and equipment.

Control options

  • Use registered herbicides such as flupropanate or glyphosate, separately or together as appropriate to plant density and growth stage; glyphosate works only during active growth, while flupropanate can be applied at any growth stage and controls residual seed banks.
  • Hand-pull or grub individual plants and recent outbreaks before they release seeds, or slash to suppress flower and seed development.
  • Fire is not recommended as a stand-alone control; if used, combine it with other approved methods and seek advice from fire authorities for controlled burns.
  • Monitor treated areas for re-infestation, and contain major occurrences while prioritising minor infestations, isolated outbreaks and seedlings.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Use designated wash-down areas and work to prevent contamination of clean areas, as seeds can be carried on people, animals, machinery and equipment.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources