Latest news with #AliBajwa
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Imported flower posing $5 billion threat to Australia: 'Massive problems'
Invasive species experts are sounding the alarm over a nasty weed continuing to sting the Australian economy, that outcompetes native vegetation, is extremely difficult to remove and is even still being sold at nurseries. The South African native flower gazania has proven far more adaptable than once believed, emerging as a serious invasive threat to Australia's native grasslands and grain-growing regions, a recent La Trobe University study has found. Dr Ali Bajwa's Weed Science group at La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF) collected thousands of seeds from environments across the country and studied how they grew under various conditions. He spoke to Yahoo News and said that what makes the gazania problem particularly urgent is the fact it has very few weaknesses. Invasive plants like gazania are already a major burden on Australian agriculture, contributing to over $5 billion in losses each year. Although popular as a drought-tolerant ornamental plant, gazania is highly invasive and thrives in disturbed soils and coastal habitats, where it spreads quickly by seeds. This aggressive growth allows it to outcompete native groundcovers and wildflowers, leading to a loss of native plant diversity. The dense mats it forms also alter soil composition and prevent the regeneration of indigenous species. Additionally, it provides limited habitat or food value for native insects and animals, further disrupting local ecosystems. Gazania, also known as treasure flowers, has now spread extensively across South Australia and parts of Western Australia, and it can be found colonising everything from coastal dunes and creek banks to wastelands, open grasslands, roadsides, and even cultivated and irrigated farmland. "We know they are quite widespread, but what we wanted to understand was if there are certain climatic conditions or soil types that are more favourable to gazanias compared to others," Bajwa said. Bunnings under fire for selling $5.50 item considered 'massive problem' Alarm sounded over toxic plant assisting in $4.3 billion issue Aussies told to hunt for invasive threat 'lurking' in gardens "And what we found is it has quite flexible germination potential across different temperatures, soil types, moisture gradients, and there aren't many limiting factors, unfortunately, in terms of its early establishment and germination. "One of the things we noticed was that if you bury them beyond a certain depth, they can't emerge from those deeper soil layers. Other than that, unfortunately, there aren't many weaknesses to exploit." Although gazania has long been recognised as an environmental weed, it has recently begun to invade grain cropping zones in South Australia's lower rainfall areas. Farmers are now struggling to manage its spread, as standard herbicides are proving largely ineffective. Initially introduced to Australia in the 1950s and '70s as a decorative garden plant, two varieties of gazania made their way here through discarded garden waste, including lawn clippings, seeds, and other plant material, enabling them to establish along roadsides and to take over native ecosystems. In regions with sandy, marginal soils, gazania infestations are rendering the land unproductive. Its hardy, drought-tolerant nature allows it to outcompete young crops, leading to widespread agricultural losses. "They've now started jumping the fence and getting into those really high-value conservation areas, but also into grain production systems, where they're causing massive problems and yield losses — and revenue losses in terms of the money spent to manage them," Bajwa said. "Restricting the sale and also declaring them a weed of some importance would go a long way — because then it all of a sudden raises more awareness among the public, and also gives weed management authorities a bit more focus to manage this. "We have a lot of other invasive species, and resources are quite limited, so further legislation on restricting their sale, propagation and planting would help. But we also need funding to do some of the research — the sort of work we're doing — to actually get ahead of the invasion curve and try to figure out what the potential management strategies could be. Bajwa encouraged the public to be aware of its dangers and the negative impacts the species can have. "Further planting, propagation and dispersal should also be discouraged," he said. The study, led by PhD student Muhammad Adnan from Dr Bajwa's Weed Science group at the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF) and the Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences, was published in Frontiers in Agronomy. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Imported flower posing $5 billion problem in Australia: 'Massive problems'
Invasive species experts are sounding the alarm over a nasty weed continuing to sting the Australian economy, that outcompetes native vegetation, is extremely difficult to remove and is even still being sold at nurseries. The South African native flower gazania has proven far more adaptable than once believed, emerging as a serious invasive threat to Australia's native grasslands and grain-growing regions, a recent La Trobe University study has found. Dr Ali Bajwa's Weed Science group at La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF) collected thousands of seeds from environments across the country and studied how they grew under various conditions. He spoke to Yahoo News and said that what makes the gazania problem particularly urgent is the fact it has very few weaknesses. Invasive plants like gazania are already a major burden on Australian agriculture, contributing to over $5 billion in losses each year. Although popular as a drought-tolerant ornamental plant, gazania is highly invasive and thrives in disturbed soils and coastal habitats, where it spreads quickly by seeds. This aggressive growth allows it to outcompete native groundcovers and wildflowers, leading to a loss of native plant diversity. The dense mats it forms also alter soil composition and prevent the regeneration of indigenous species. Additionally, it provides limited habitat or food value for native insects and animals, further disrupting local ecosystems. Gazania, also known as treasure flowers, has now spread extensively across South Australia and parts of Western Australia, and it can be found colonising everything from coastal dunes and creek banks to wastelands, open grasslands, roadsides, and even cultivated and irrigated farmland. "We know they are quite widespread, but what we wanted to understand was if there are certain climatic conditions or soil types that are more favourable to gazanias compared to others," Bajwa said. Bunnings under fire for selling $5.50 item considered 'massive problem' Alarm sounded over toxic plant assisting in $4.3 billion issue Aussies told to hunt for invasive threat 'lurking' in gardens "And what we found is it has quite flexible germination potential across different temperatures, soil types, moisture gradients, and there aren't many limiting factors, unfortunately, in terms of its early establishment and germination. "One of the things we noticed was that if you bury them beyond a certain depth, they can't emerge from those deeper soil layers. Other than that, unfortunately, there aren't many weaknesses to exploit." Although gazania has long been recognised as an environmental weed, it has recently begun to invade grain cropping zones in South Australia's lower rainfall areas. Farmers are now struggling to manage its spread, as standard herbicides are proving largely ineffective. Initially introduced to Australia in the 1950s and '70s as a decorative garden plant, two varieties of gazania made their way here through discarded garden waste, including lawn clippings, seeds, and other plant material, enabling them to establish along roadsides and to take over native ecosystems. In regions with sandy, marginal soils, gazania infestations are rendering the land unproductive. Its hardy, drought-tolerant nature allows it to outcompete young crops, leading to widespread agricultural losses. "They've now started jumping the fence and getting into those really high-value conservation areas, but also into grain production systems, where they're causing massive problems and yield losses — and revenue losses in terms of the money spent to manage them," Bajwa said. "Restricting the sale and also declaring them a weed of some importance would go a long way — because then it all of a sudden raises more awareness among the public, and also gives weed management authorities a bit more focus to manage this. "We have a lot of other invasive species, and resources are quite limited, so further legislation on restricting their sale, propagation and planting would help. But we also need funding to do some of the research — the sort of work we're doing — to actually get ahead of the invasion curve and try to figure out what the potential management strategies could be. Bajwa encouraged the public to be aware of its dangers and the negative impacts the species can have. "Further planting, propagation and dispersal should also be discouraged," he said. The study, led by PhD student Muhammad Adnan from Dr Bajwa's Weed Science group at the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food (LISAF) and the Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences, was published in Frontiers in Agronomy. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
West Australian
6 days ago
- Science
- West Australian
La Trobe University leads $4.74 million project into non-toxic weed control management in Australia
More than $4.7 million has been pledged for a project looking at a non-toxic, environmentally friendly method of controlling weeds and pests in horticultural crops in Australia. The five-year study La Trobe University-led project will investigate the usefulness of anaerobic soil disinfestation technology within the Australian environment — technology which has already proved successful in the United States and is now being widely adopted. it is hoped it could offer Australian growers sustainable alternatives to chemical-based approaches to weed management, as well as enhancing the profitability of growers by reducing input costs of production. Hort Innovation research and development manager Araz Solomon said the project was important for the future of horticulture in Australia. 'This project represents an important investment in sustainable horticultural production,' he said. 'It forms part of a broader series of initiatives led by Hort Innovation, all aimed at improving weed management outcomes and delivering practical, science-based solutions that ensure the long-term success of the horticulture industry.' The project will target crops grown on plastic mulch such as strawberries, capsicums and melons in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Project lead Ali Bajwa said fumigation with chemicals was the main approach for controlling certain weeds and soil-borne pathogens in plasticulture-based horticulture crops in Australia. 'As more of these damaging chemicals get banned for use in horticulture due to environmental safety concerns, we will need a reliable alternative weed control approach that is good for the environment and achieves circular economy benefits by putting farm byproducts to a great use,' he said. ASD involves the use of plant-based carbon sources, moisture and plastic soil coverings to create an oxygen-deprived environment which is hostile to weeds and soil-borne pathogens, causing them to die. Carbon sources will include biowaste products such as chicken manure, rice bran, sugarcane molasses and cottonseed meal. Once weeds are controlled, the soil microbiome can be returned to an optimal, oxygen-rich aerobic environment for growing crops, enhancing harvest quantity and quality. Senior lecturer in weed science and agronomy Mr Bajwa said the goal was to determine the optimal combinations of bio-amendments and treatment strategies which would achieve the best weed control outcomes. 'We will work closely with growers, industry partners and extension groups to share our findings and drive adoption of this technology,' he said. The study is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from La Trobe University, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Northern Territory and contributions from the Australian Government.
New York Times
27-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Foreign Students Lost Their Sheen in a Nation of Immigrants
Australia was the clear top choice when Ali Bajwa, a native of Pakistan, wanted to pursue a doctorate in agricultural science. The research in the field was cutting edge, the universities were highly ranked and overseas students were welcome in the country, where international education has been referred to as 'the biggest export we don't dig out of the ground.' Mr. Bajwa arrived a decade ago, specializing in weed control. He brought his family over, all becoming naturalized citizens. He spent years in Wagga Wagga, a rural town, working for the state government and continuing research in weed science. He now teaches at La Trobe University in Melbourne and is a homeowner. But those hoping to follow Mr. Bajwa's path face a new reality. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have turned to capping the number of international students as a way to rein in unaffordable housing, a crisis that is at the top of voters' minds ahead of next month's election. The argument is that this will reduce demand for rentals and starter homes and tamp down prices. It is a major shift for Australia, whose economy depends on mining but which once saw education as a 'super growth sector' and sought to compete for students with the United States, Britain and Canada. 'We gain a lot more than we lose to international students,' said Mr. Bajwa, 35. 'There should be a lot more focus on improving the selection criteria or requirements than a blanket ban or limiting the number.' Last year, the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought to to impose a limit on international students but failed to pass legislation. It has since increased student visa fees and slowed processing, reducing the arrival of students from overseas. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has pledged to put far stricter restrictions on international students, slashing the number by a further 30,000, for a cap of 240,000 new arrivals a year — and more than tripling the maximum visa fees to up to 5,000 Australian dollars, about $3,200. Strict border controls during the coronavirus pandemic kept many international students out. But Australia then made a concerted effort to bring them back — temporarily removing work restrictions and offering rebates on visa fees. That led to a record surge of students arriving in the country in 2023 and 2024, with total international student enrollment topping a million for the first time last year. In September, Mr. Dutton spoke of students who apply to remain in the country after their degrees as 'the modern version of the boat arrivals,' in an apparent reference to refugees and asylum seekers. Australia has long benefited from immigration, which has boosted its labor force and younger demography. About 30 percent of its population was born overseas, and nearly half has at least one parent born overseas. But views have shifted, and not just here. The United States is scrutinizing and revoking student visas in drastic fashion, casting the right to study in the country as a privilege that can be taken away seemingly arbitrarily; Canada has put the brakes on the influx of students from abroad; Britain has installed new restrictions that it said would prevent people from using student visas to come work in the country. Australia had long allowed and even encouraged major universities to become dependent on international students to expand their campuses and research programs. Foreigners pay much higher fees than domestic students and contribute a substantial portion of the schools' revenue. 'International students in Australia had been used for quite some time as a form of an export industry,' said Peter Hurley, a professor of education policy at Victoria University. 'The same way they're promoting the sheep industry, it's been the same with international education.' The post-pandemic surge in international students coincided with an acute housing affordability crisis in Australia. Home values have soared compared with incomes, rising about 45 percent from 2020. Sydney was the second least-affordable city in the world after Hong Kong in 2023, based on a comparison of median home prices to median incomes. While multiple factors have contributed to the crunch in housing supply — including labor shortages, rising construction costs and regulatory issues — international students have made for an expedient, nonvoting segment to target as a quick fix for politicians. That sentiment was reflected in a question put to Mr. Albanese, of the center-left Labor Party, and Mr. Dutton, who leads the Liberal Party, in their first debate of this election cycle. 'We have a lot of students who are here visiting who are buying housing within the city area,' said a 74-year-old woman named Janine, who said she was concerned about her children and grandchildren's ability to ever be able to afford a home. 'When is one of our governments going turn up and say, Australia belongs to Australians?' Andrew Norton, a professor of higher education policy at Monash Business School, said there was no question that the number of students arriving in the country — many of them wanting to remain in the country after graduation — was contributing to the demand side of the housing shortage. At the same time, he said, the current spike is an aberration because of pent-up demand during the pandemic and fewer students returning home. The proposed caps, he added, would be a short-term solution rather than the more thoughtful, comprehensive migration policy reform that is needed. Critics have also noted that international students largely occupy apartments and share houses concentrated near the universities that would typically not be the types of homes sought out by first-time home buyers. Clifford Suryana, a fourth-year student at the University of Sydney studying law and commerce who is from Surabaya, Indonesia, said he had learned English from Australian teachers who lived in his hometown. When it came time to think about university, he said he felt a general affinity for Australia and also felt there were business and diplomatic ties with Indonesia that would lend themselves to career opportunities. Many of his fellow international students, who make up nearly half of the student body at the University of Sydney and account for four-fifths of the school's tuition fees, contribute far more to Australian society than they take from it, he said. 'Most of them would want to work in Australia or go back to their original country with knowledge they got from Australia,' he said. 'In my perspective, that would only be good for Australia.'
