Social factors influencing landholder management of silverleaf nightshade

Silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.) is recognised as one of the world’s worst agricultural weeds. Yet, little is known about the broader social drivers or barriers that influence farmer adoption of particular control strategies. To better understand these drivers and barriers, individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 farmers involved in the management of silverleaf nightshade (SLN) across four Australian states. Findings from this research reveal that the most significant driver for landholders to control SLN is the potential implications for property value in the district if SLN is not properly controlled. Time and associated labour costs represent the main challenges in controlling SLN, but they do not act as a barrier to ongoing control due to the high importance placed by farmers on controlling SLN. Based upon these findings, the paper makes three key recommendations for future SLN extension.