Identifying gamba grass made easy

Can you tell the difference between gamba grass and the native lemon grass? The new video on DPIR’s YouTube channel might help.

Arthur Cameron, Principal Pastures Agronomist has been helping people learn to identify gamba grass for years. In a new video on identifying gamba grass, he explains what to look for and the features that make it stand out.

“There are several grasses that are often confused with gamba grass, probably the most common is a native lemon grass. Sometimes you can see where people have sprayed it (the native lemon grass) out by accident, thinking that it is gamba grass.”

Gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) is an introduced grass found throughout the NT. It is highly invasive and is a declared Class A or B weed (depending on region), which means that property owners have a legal obligation to control it (outlined in the weed management plan and guide). It is important that landowners and managers know what to look for and how to tell the difference between gamba grass and other grasses. DPIR released the video to help pastoralists, land and natural resource managers successfully identify gamba grass. The video is a two-minute guide that discusses the main characteristics to look for, including the timing of the flowering, white stripe down the centre of the leaf, excessively hair stem, and fluffy v-shaped seed head.

The YouTube channel has a range of five-minute videos on practical topics, including identifying gamba grass.

More information

• Arthur Cameron (DPIR Pastures Agronomist): arthur.cameron@nt.gov.au or 08 8999 2214
• NT Government weeds branch, Darwin: weedinfo@nt.gov.au or 08 8999 4567
• NT Government weeds branch, Katherine: weedinfo@nt.gov.au or 08 8973 8857
• Visit the NTG webpage on gamba grass