Ding dong the witch is (nearly) dead – the end is in sight for the Red Witchweed Eradication Program

Abstract

The first recorded detection of red witchweed in Australia occurred on a Mackay region sugarcane farm in July 2013. Following extensive delimitation surveillance, a total of eight neighbouring properties were confirmed as infested. In response, 2015 marked the inception of a joint funding initiative for an integrated research and treatment eradication program aimed at assessing and applying the most efficacious eradication strategies suitable for the Mackay environment. The objective was to extirpate the invasive species and exhaust its soil seedbank.

After almost a decade of consistent monitoring and eradication efforts, the Program is poised to successfully eliminate red witchweed by the projected deadline of June 30, 2025. To date, quarantine measures have been lifted from six properties (98% of quarantined land), with only 2.2 hectares remaining under active treatment. This collaborative approach involving industry and government stakeholders instils confidence that the Red Witchweed Eradication Program will be the first in the world to successfully eradicate this highly invasive plant species.