Nucleus Nassella Area Being Controlled

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 8

Nucleus Nassella Area Being Controlled

“Tdon’t think you should look -*• to this oversowing and topdressing after killing the nassella for an immediate ecosella for an immediate economic return or you may find it’s the short cut back to where you started,’* said Mr W. F. Leonard, weeds research officer of the Department of Agriculture, at a field day held by the North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Board on the Mount . Highfleld-Glenbourne property of the Lands and Survey Department. The field day, which was attended by between 60 and 70 persons, was held to give representatives of Federated Farmers, county councils and others an opportunity to see a nucleus area which has responded successfully to chemical treatment and pasture re-establishment. Parent Infestation Opening the field day, the chairman of the board (Mr T. G. Maxwell) said that the property held the “parent Infestation” of the nucleus areas which extended down the Waiau river and menaced many thousands of acres of hill country. The Mount Highfield and Glenbourne properties were combined in March, 1952, and after a small block of clean land was allotted to a nearby property owner they totalled 2241 acres in area. In June of that year the stock numbers were only 793 breeding ewes, 170 ewe hoggets and 64 steers.

Today more than 1500 ewes are being carried, as well as about 600 ewe -hoggets, although well over 800 acres are shut off from normal grazing for nassella control.

In 1944 the area of dense nassella on Mount Highfield was about li acres, and on Glenbourne 15 acres, compared with some 900 acres in 1959 when the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Skinner) decided against the board’s proposal that a large area be planted in trees as a nassella reserve and directed that herbicides be used. In the 1958-59 season 842 acres were sprayed for seed control at a cost of £3700 and 2601 hdlirs were spent in grubbing at a cost of £936. In 1959-60 495 acres were sprayed for seed control and 360 acres were “kill*’ sprayed of which 330 acres were oversown and topdressed at a total cost for the year of £6700.

The estimated expenditure for 1960-61 is about £6600, which will include 390 acres to be

sprayed for seedling control, 410 acres of “kill” spraying- and subsequent topdressing and oversowing and 500 hours of grubbing. •fThe private individual couldn’t do what we’re doing but the primary aim is to kill the nassella and protect the relatively free land further down,” Mr Muir senior field officer of the Lands and Survey Department, Christchurch, said. The board's chief inspector (Mr W. L. Kay), in describing the areas south-east of Mount Highfield down the valley of the Waiau river, said that it was about 16 miles to the sea and the path of the seed blow from the major infestation was about three miles wide. “There are 30,000 acres on to which seed is literally being spewed each year unless it can be stopped,” he said. A 90-acre block which was used for trials with cattle for seed control Was inspected and the party climbed down the steep face to the experimental plots near the- bottom. A short address on this area was given by Mr Leonard, who has been concerned with most of the board’s research work. Cattle were grazed on the 90 acres from 1953 to 1957 and although they were bought “to work” and there were several losses, they paid their way, Mr Muir said.

In September, 1958, a spraying with T.C.A. was made for seed control and in early January, 1959, a “kill” spray of dalapon was carried out followed by topdressing with 1 cwt., of fortified superphosphate and a similar amount of molybdenised superphosphate to the acre, and oversowing with 281 b of clovers and grasses in April. Not Uniform Clover distribution was not uniform and in July a further 61b of clover with lewt., of standard super was applied. The total cost was £1925, or £2l 7s 9d per acre. No stock was run on the area until the end of January, 1960, When 577 lambs were put on for fattening after weaning. Of these, 277 were sold off after a month, 150 after two months and the balance were sold fat at the beginning of June. This spring a spraying of 81b dalapon to the acre for seeding control at a cost of about £3 10s will be carried out followed by a topdressing of lewt of extra strength fortified super at a cost of about’ 25s per acre, Mr Muir said. Only light grazing will be done until the pasture is properly established. Seedling control will be an annual recurring expense and further topdressing, as needed, will be carried out until all signs of seedlings are absent Two one-acre trial plots were inspected and were described by Mr R. Milne, farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture, who has been conducting trials for the board in conjunction with Mr Leonard throughout its area. One of these, set on a heavily infested face, was sprayed with 301 b dalapon in 28 gallops Of water to the acre in January, 1957, and oversown in March of that year with- a cocksfoot phalaris, dogstail and clovers mixture and topdressed with double superphosphate. Last summer it was sprayed with 301 b dalapon to the acre when the whole face was done and was also over sown again. The grass and clover species resisted the second spraying remarkably well and the trial area, which has not been grazed fori three yean, has a good cover. I