Various bush control methods exist, and are different with regards to efficiency, effectiveness and environmental stability. Due to the lack of scientific long-term research on the possible effect of chemical bush control on groundwater, this methodology is currently not recommended. Equally, the use of heavy machinery (e.g. bush rollers, bulldozers, chains) can have disastrous side effects on the rangeland ecology and therefore is not recommended.
- Highly mechanised: primary aim is to harvest the biomass, done with either a skid steer harvester and horizontal rotary cutter or circular sawblades or a hydraulic grab and buncher with blade cutter.
- Medium to large-scale mechanised bush thinning operations: Used for quick bush control, leads to soil disturbance; methods include a bush roller mounted on front-end loader, bulldozer/grader/tractor with blade chain between two tractors.
- Manual and semi-mechanised methods: Small-scale labour intensive (manual) bush control, such as using axes, pangas, a tractor drawn-slashers, hand-held chainsaws or multi-circular saws
- Biological control: no bush is harvested; use of browsers, natural enemies, fungal or bacterial applications
- Chemical bush control: herbicides and glyphosates are used either by hand pump, granules or aircraft spraying. It is generally felt that chemical methods would be gladly phased out by farmers for better alternatives.
- Other: flame throwers, controlled veld fires or fire-herbivory interaction
Read more: Harvesting Brochure
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