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Saltlover (Halogeton glomeratus)

Saltlover is an invasive annual that can establish on disturbed, saline-alkaline ground and make revegetation with desirable plants difficult. Its oxalate-rich foliage is poisonous to livestock, especially sheep.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Southeastern Russia and northwestern China.

Established in: .

Other names: Halogeton, Aral barilla, Barilla.

Best time to act: Look for plants before flowering and treat them pre-flowering, before seeds mature.

Identification

  • It is a succulent annual forb with many stems branching from the base.
  • The stems spread low before becoming erect, and plants may reach about 2 feet tall in open stands.
  • Leaves are small, fleshy and tipped with a spine.
  • Flowers are inconspicuous and sit in the leaf axils.
  • It produces winged black seeds and wingless brown seeds.

Where it grows

It grows in semiarid, alkaline soils, often saline, and is associated with disturbed ground such as dry lakebeds, overgrazed rangeland, stock trails, roadsides, airstrips and gravel pits.

Why it matters

  • Its soluble oxalates make the plant poisonous to grazing animals, particularly sheep.
  • A sheep may be killed by eating 12 to 18 ounces of the plant, and there is no treatment once an animal is poisoned.
  • Dense infestations make it difficult to establish desirable plants for revegetation.
  • Plant mulch can alter soil, increasing pH, exchangeable sodium, potassium, magnesium and electrical conductivity while reducing water percolation.

How it spreads

  • Seeds can remain viable after passing through sheep and rabbits and are dispersed in their droppings.
  • Dry plants can break off and tumble in the wind, scattering seed; whirlwinds and dust-devils can carry seeded stems up to 2 miles.
  • Road equipment, especially graders, rapidly spreads seed along roads.

Control options

  • Maintain vigorous perennial range plants and vary grazing patterns to reduce opportunities for establishment.
  • Avoid vegetation destruction and ground disturbance from road construction, surface mining, off-road vehicles, rodents and rabbits.
  • Competitive perennial plantings have been used to reduce halogeton cover.
  • Pre-flowering plants are susceptible to 2,4-D; follow-up applications may be needed annually for 6 to 10 years after the final seed crop.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean road graders and other road equipment before moving between sites, because equipment can spread seed along roads.
  • Prevent livestock and other animals from carrying seed in droppings from infested areas to uninfested sites.
  • 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): National priority exotic pest. On the National Priority List of Exotic Environmental Pests, Weeds and Diseases, so any new detection should be reported straight away.
  • 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: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • 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.

Sources