Tackling Giant Rat’s Tail Grass: Insights from the Gympie Field Day

Across Queensland, Giant Rat’s Tail Grass (GRT) continues to be a major challenge for farmers and landholders. Highly invasive and difficult to control once established, GRT can significantly reduce pasture productivity and compete with valuable forage species. Understanding how to manage this weed effectively is critical for maintaining healthy productive pastures. On the 18th of September 2025, the Gympie Regional Council hosted a dedicated Giant Rat’s Tail Grass Field Day in Gympie Queensland, bringing together landholders, agronomists and leading weed scientists. The event provided a unique opportunity for attendees to learn practical strategies for controlling GRT, see demonstrations of the latest equipment and hear directly from experts about integrated weed management approaches. Redback Agri was proud to support the council, providing video coverage of the presentations and demonstrations. Our goal was to capture the day so that farmers and landholders across Queensland and beyond can benefit from the insights shared.

Please share any comments at the bottom of the page, we would love to hear your feedback. 

Expert Presentations You Can Watch

The field day featured a series of presentations covering the biology, control and management of GRT.

Dr Wayne Voglar’s proven tips for Rats Tail Grass management.Dr Wayne Vogler Integrated Management of GRT
Senior Principal Weed Scientist from the QDPI Tropical Weeds Research Centre, Dr Vogler discussed: (More from Dr Vogler) 

  • The biology of Giant Rat’s Tail Grass
  • Why early intervention is critical
  • Current research and promising control strategies
  • Chemical and mechanical control methods
  • Timing weed management efforts for best results

Nic Zaccardi Enhanced Pasture for Improved Weed Control 

Agronomist with Nutrien, Nic shared strategies for improving pasture resilience, including:

  • Soil health and testing
  • Fertilisation and nutrient management
  • Sustainable grazing management
  • Integrated weed control including slashing, cultivation, targeted herbicides and pasture competition
  • Case studies on GRT control

Tamara Taylor and Dr Katrina Hodgson-Kratky GRT Biological Control

These QDPI Ecosciences Precinct weed scientists explained:

  • The history and current status of classical biological control
  • Research on GRT leaf smut and endemic fungal pathogens

Marcelo Pullen Multi-Access Drones for Weed Management (Coming In Dec)

Marcelo demonstrated how precision drones can support cost effective and environmentally responsible weed control with AI targeted spraying and scalable pasture management solutions. While Redback Agri manufactures the Redback Weedwiper (which we believe is a highly effective alternative well suited to smaller block landholders and farmers), we wanted to share all videos from the day so farmers can make informed decisions that suit their property, budget and management style.

And keep an eye on our Facebook Page for our Bonus Videos From the Day!

 

A Message From Gympie Regional Council – James Hannon

Dr Wayne Vogler – Senior Principal Weed Scientist, QDPI Tropical Weeds Research Centre Charters Towers 

 

Nic Zaccardi, Agronomist with Nutrien

Tamara Taylor and Dr Katrina Hodgson-Kratky GRT Biological Control

Giant Rats Tail Grass Weed Control Event Photos

 

DOWNLOAD MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Rats Tail Grass Field Day