There are thousands of species of weeds and many different ways to control them. This weed control course is ideal for land managers, farmers, gardeners, orchardists, market gardeners, landscapers, spray contractors or anyone involved with controlling weeds.

The Certificate of Weed Control will give you insights into effectively and efficiently using best practice techniques to control weeds. In this weed killer course, you will learn about the different types of weeds, chemical herbicides, and safe practices to eliminate them.

In this weed control course, you will also discover non-chemical weed control methods, and study how to increase productivity and reduce environmental impacts with correct weed management in both agricultural and horticultural settings.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a weed control course or a weed killer course include:

• Learning about weed identification and plant taxonomy
• Exploring botanical/horticulture nomenclature and the binomial system
• Gaining an understanding of botanical classification and plant families and species
• Studying common groups of weeds and their general characteristics
• Examining weed control methods, weed control steps and ways to control weeds
• Understanding suffocation and mulch mats and shading
• Attaining knowledge of fire, cultivation and plastic sheets and the types of weed problems
• Gaining insights into fence lines and borders and weeds in laws and in garden beds
• Learning about vigorous, invasive creepers and plants to avoid
• Exploring practical research on the management of weeds and the types of weed problems
• Gaining an understanding of chemical weed control, the types of herbicide chemicals, aliphatics, amides and anilides
• Studying benzoins and bipyridyliums
• Examining carbamates, carbanilides and dinitroanilines
• Understanding diphenyl ethers, nitriles and phenoxys
• Attaining knowledge of thiocarbamates and triazines
• Gaining insights into ureas and uracils and organic herbicides
• Learning about weedicides for the home garden and glyphosate (Zero/Roundup)
• Exploring selective broad-leaved weed killers
• Gaining an understanding of weed control strategies for particular situations and weeds in turf
• Studying the methods of controlling weed problems in turf and turf weedicides (herbicides)
• Examining the law in relation to chemical use and commonly used commercial formulations
• Understanding weeds in plant nurseries and information about weed control from industry leaders
• Attaining knowledge of safe chemical application
• Gaining insights into the types of chemicals and application methods
• Learning about safety procedures for the handling and administrating chemical herbicides
• Exploring the safety rules for using chemicals and how to safely store and mix chemicals

And more!

Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) 

When undertaking our weed control course, you will become familiar with Weeds of National Significance that have been identified by the Australian government based on their potential for spread, invasiveness and social, environmental and economic impacts. Here are some of the most common.

African Boxthorn

Originally from South Africa, Lycium ferocissimum can rapidly form impenetrable spiny thickets, reducing stock movement and also the land available for pasture.

Asparagus Fern

Originally from South Africa, Asparagus aethiopicus has become a serious environmental weed in temperate to tropical climates. It smothers other plants, excludes desirable species, and also impacts native animals.

Alligator Weed

Originally from South America, Alternanthera philoxeroides clogs waterways, impedes water flow, limits light and oxygen, and restricts access to water for people and animals. It grows year-round in tropical to sub-tropical areas.

Athel Pine

Originally from North Africa, Arabian peninsula and India, Tamarix aphylla is a fast growing tree with serious impacts along waterways in arid and semi-arid Australia. It is a threat to the pastoral and tourism industry and the riparian biodiversity of central Australia.

Bitou Bush/Boneseed 

Originally from South Africa, Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata is an aggressive environmental weed. It actively invades coastal dune vegetation where in many cases totally eliminates native flora.

Blackberry

The Rubus fruticosus aggregate is a long-living, fast growing shrub that impacts forestry, agriculture and natural ecosystems. Physical and chemical control over time can help control blackberries, however, care is needed so as not to impact the fruit industry or the native species, Rubus.

Bridal Creeper

Originally from Africa, Asparagus asparagoides is a highly invasive scrambling herb/vine that is destroying large areas of native vegetation in southern Australia.

English Broom

Cytisus scoparius is a native plant of western, southern and central Europe that is highly invasive, and is one of the major weed threats in the alpine and sub-alpine areas of Australia. In agricultural situations. it can form dense strands which reduce grazing and provide habitat for pest animals.

Cabomba

Cabomba caroliniana is an aquatic herb that grows quickly and produces vast amounts of submerged plant material. Its spread has been assisted by the deliberate ‘seeding’ of waterways to ensure a wild supply for the aquarium trade.

Cat’s Claw Creeper

Native to Central America, the Caribbean and tropical South America, Dolichandra unguis-cati develops an extensive network of underground tubers that are very difficult to remove. It has the ability to completely smother native vegetation, and is particularly aggressive in south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales.

Chilean Needle Grass

Originally from South America, Nassella neesiana is a highly invasive plant with serious impacts on the environment, agriculture and the economy. If animals are present in summer when the sharp flowering seeds are produced, these can injure and damage animals and therefore downgrade produce.

Fireweed

Senecio madagascariensis is an introduced weed that is evident in both arable country and rangelands. It can dominate pastures and is responsible for the slow growth, illness and poor conditioning of cattle and can also result in death.

Gamba Grass

Andropogon gayanus was introduced from tropical Africa and is a serious weed in northern Australia from Western Australia to Queensland. It has profound impacts on the nutrient and water availability in the soil, and during bush fires creates very intense fires that can kill trees and present a potential danger to properties and people.

Gorse

Originally from Western Europe, Ulex europaeus can form dense impenetrable thickets that exclude domestic and native animals, and provide cover for feral animals such as foxes and rabbits.

Hymenachne

Hymenachne amplexicaulis is a semi-aquatic grass that forms dense stands that reduce plant diversity and available habitat for native animals. It invades tropical waterways and wetlands and threatens large areas of northern Australia.

Lantana

Originally from the Americas, Lantana camara threatens forestry, agriculture and pastoral production and the biodiversity of conservation areas.

Madeira Vine

Originally from South America, Anredera cordifolia is an aggressive climbing vine that smothers other shrubs and trees. It climbs over other plants and due to its weight, causes structural damage or the collapse of the canopy in tropical, sub-tropical and in warm to cool temperate areas.

Mesquite

Prosopis is one of four species of prickle bushes that have infestations scattered throughout semi-arid Australia. It is a nuisance in rangelands where it forms dense impenetrable strands, particularly around waterways.

Mimosa

Giant Sensitive Plant is native to tropical America and in the Top End of northern Australia more than 80,000 hectares of native wetland vegetation has been replaced by this plant.

Parkinsonia

Parkinsonia aculeata is a native plant of the Americas and forms dense prickly thickets along watercourses and makes land inaccessible. It is a threat to wetlands and rangelands and flood prone country is particularly susceptible.

Parthenium Weed

Originally from the Americas, Parthenium hysterophorus is a toxic aggressive herb and is currently widespread in Queensland. It is toxic to humans and can cause severe dermatitis and respiratory problems. In animals, it can cause skin lesions, mouth ulcers, dermatitis and taint milk and meat.

Pond Apple

Annona glabra is an aggressive invader of freshwater and brackish wetlands, rainforests, waterways, and coastal habitats in northern Queensland. It forms dense thickets that reduce biodiversity and threaten some rare species of flora and fauna.

Prickly Acacia

Vachellia nilotica subsp. indica is native to India and Pakistan and is now a weed of national significance in semi-arid Australia. It is a thorny shrub or small tree that now covers large tracts of Queensland’s grasslands and infests watercourses and woodlands.

Serrated Tussock

Originally from South America, Nassella trichotoma severely reduces the carrying capacity of land, and if animals are fed only on Serrated Tussock, the leaves can form balls in the rumen causing their loss of condition and eventual death.

 

Gain the confidence to determine a weed control program for significant weed problems in a variety of agricultural and horticultural settings with a weed killer course such as our Certificate of Weed Control.