Flourishing levels of a tiny aquatic water fern, Azolla, might offer some farmers a viable new fodder resource in the Goulburn Broken catchment.
Flourishing levels of a tiny aquatic water fern, Azolla, might offer some farmers a viable new fodder resource in the Goulburn Broken catchment.
The weed, which is also known as Duck Week, flourishes in drought conditions and is capable of doubling its biomass in four days in optimal environmental conditions.
It is already used to feed pigs, ducks and fish in Asia and boasts high protein content (20 to 30 percent on dry weight basis).
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) and the Goulburn Broken CMA (GB CMA) ran tests last year to prove that Azolla could be successfully harvested from Broken Creek.
The authority is now poised to run feed tests to quantify Azolla's feed value and to answer any potential feed safety issues.
"It has been used very successfully as a feed source for stock in Asia and there is a real possibility that it could have a role here too," GB CMA representative Geoff Earl said.
"We are very definitely moving on this and we are working towards having a result for farmers within this calendar year."
The news comes on the heels of the Goulburn Broken CMA's decision to flush Azolla from Broken Creek to save the Murray Cod.
Azolla covers the surface of the water, reducing oxygen in creeks and rivers, risking killing fish.
The only way to manage the weed to date has been to increase water flow to flush it away.
If Azolla could, instead, be harvested as a viable feed resource for the farming community, it potentially offers a welcome spin-off of protecting the second biggest Murray cod breeding habitat in Northern Victoria.
"This is a year when everyone has to think outside the square and if this concept does return the results which we believe are possible, it could be a win for our farmers and for the environment," Mr Earl said.
Release Ends
For more information, contact Geoff Earl at (03) 5820 1128 0429 381 887
or Dianna Malcolm (Impress Publicity) 0n 0419 483 763.