Understanding attitudes towards the biocontrol of African lovegrass: a segmentation approach

Abstract

ABSTRACTAfrican lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula Schrad. Nees, Poaceae) is an introduced pasture species which provides little grazing or nutritional value for livestock under the prevailing conditions in Australia. Current management options, which include herbicides, strategic grazing of new growth, species replacement and fertiliser application have not been effective at providing sustained reductions in African lovegrass cover. Therefore, biological control (biocontrol) of African lovegrass is now being considered as a potential management tool in Australia. An important initial step in this exploration is to understand community views about African lovegrass and the use of biocontrol agents to manage it. Psychological characteristics including attitudes, knowledge, concern, and environmental values were investigated using an Australia-wide online survey, and respondents were separated into distinct segments using latent profile analysis. This study revealed that, within the sample of stakeholders surveyed, there were two groups that held slightly different views about African lovegrass and the environment, but they did not differ in terms of high levels of support for the potential use of biocontrol agents for African lovegrass. This information provides evidence of strong support for the management of African lovegrass using biocontrol.