Aerial seeding to fight weeds

Press, 5 April 1988, Page 8

Aerial seeding to fight weeds

■ I; I ll' An experiment in aerial seeding of trees (will begin next week as part] of the fight against weeds in North Canterbury, j The trial is al result of local farmers’ I concern about the weed-infested areas of the Hawkswood Range, north of! Cheviot. The farmers ilast year met the North Canterbury Catchment Board | to discuss ways of dealing with areas badly infested with bracken and broom. They asked for alternatives to burning every five or I seven . years so they could get their stock through. Aerial seeding was the most popular of the options suggested. A group of the (farmers engaged (a Ministry of Forestry I consultant, ■ Mr Mark Belton, to design the trial in (which eucalypt seeds will be aeriallyseeded on to a ‘ site on Hawkswoqd Station. Eucalypts were chosen because they are ex-

pected: to I grow fairly fast as > there is a reasonable rainfall in the area, which is | relatively frost free. The speed of growth is important so the trees can compete I with the regrowth of the bracken arid broom. | Aerial seeding of trees is | estimated to cost about $l5O a hectare. Planting by conventional methods is! estimated at SHOO to $l2OO a hectare. iA; successful application was 1 made by the group to the j Canterbury Regional Development Council for a) 50 I perl cent Regional Development Grant. , | : [The Canterbury United Council and several private ■ industry groups have alsq (made contributions towards the costs. Some of the trial areas liaye lbeeh burnt, and the aerial seeding is planned for | next iMonday. It will be | followed by some groprid seeding and some planting lof seedling trees for I comparison. | i|