The Press THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1961. Control Of Nassella Tussock

Press, Volume C, Issue 29504, 4 May 1961, Page 14

The Press THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1961. Control Of Nassella Tussock

Reports presented at the annual meeting of the North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Board contained disquieting evidence of delays and frustrations in the attack on one of the Dominion’s worst problems of weed control With the best of co-operation from all concerned, the board would face an extremely difficult task to eradicate nassella in the 900,000 acres under its jurisdiction. Unfortunately, although its relations with landowners have improved greatly and its capital assets have been augmented, the board now lacks a clear indication of Government policy, and cannot plan its campaign with confident assurance of departmental approval. This means not only that future operations are uncertain, but that the gains of earlier work are gravely jeopardised. Nft~ more urgent problem awjnts the new Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hayman). Until the present conflict of objectives afforestation of severely infested areas, or the retention of land in ordinary farm production through other methods of controlling nassella—is resolved unequivocally and permanently, neither the North Canterbury board nor co-operative landowners will be treated fairly by the Government. Nassella is a very much greater difficulty in North Canterbury than in Marlborough, the other region of heaviest infestation. Much experimental work has been necessary to evolve control methods. Some of the quickest results have been reported in the north-east of Kowai county, where the North Canterbury board undertook to control nassella on the unploughable faces and gullies, provided the farmers themselves controlled infestation elsewhere by cultivation. Bulldozers have been used in this district to bring more land under cultivation and control. The success of work such as this led the board, with landowners’ cooperation, to plan a campaign for 4000 acres of badly-infested country at Waipara. According to the chairman of the board (Mr T. G. Maxwell), the subsequent postponement of this

campaign resulted from “a “ change of policy in.

“Government departments, “ although such a change “ has not officially been “notified to the board”. Mr Maxwell added: “It “appears that there is now “a need for further areas “of forest in Canterbury, “ and no doubt the Govern“ment departments feel ‘‘that if they can kill two “ birds with one stone they “ will save themselves a “ considerable amount of “ money ”. What are the main effects of this lack of understanding between the board and the Government? The board has just completed a three-year programme during which initiative, skill, and large sums of money yielded satisfactory dividends. It is now beginning a five-year programme; and its draft estimates for 1961-62—yet to receive Ministerial approval—provide for the use of all its immediately available funds and stocks of herbicide. Unless it is certain of Government support, the board cannot apply its energies wholeheartedly to the maintenance of agricultural production. Moreover, the present uncertainties prevent the raising of mortgages on farms infested by nassella, and thus embarrass unfairly owners and prospective purchasers. The board has already shown how production may be increased concurrently with nassella control; and it has set a useful precedent for, making secured advances to landowners who otherwise could not finance the necessary work. The financial and other measures adopted by the board merit the Government’s endorsement if only because of the urgency to produce more primary exports, and because of the relative shortage of farm land. Without vigorous steps to check its spread, nassella could prove even more damaging to farm prosperity than the rabbit pest. If the progress achieved against the weed during the last three years is nullified by departmental obscurity, not only the farmers most vitally concerned but the entire economy will lose heavily.