A major problem

Press, 18 March 1977, Page 15

A major problem

Briar had become a major problem on country which had been oversown and topdressed, Mr R. T. (Dick) Wardell of Omarama station, of 11,840 hectares, told runholders who attended a field day in the district last week. It had become such a problem on this country following the use of superphosphate that he doubted if he would be doing any more topdressing on sunny country. It might still, however, be possible to use seed. “I do not think that you can stock heavily enough on this country to -control the briar,” he •said. Over the last few years a helicopter had been used to spray really bad patches and gullies, and while very effective this was far too expensive to -do on a large scale. ■ On this sort of country 'Mr Wardell forecast that in the not too distant future noxious weeds would become just as big a problem as rabbits had been. When answering questions, Mr J. D. Gregan, Ichief pastoral lands officer of the Lands and 'Survey Department, said . that while briar might be a very serious weed on ’ many properties he felt that the diversion of massive amounts of limited finance to control this weed could restrict expenditure on more insidious or rapidly spreading weeds.