RACWORT PEST

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 70, 15 August 1938, Page 3

RACWORT PEST

PROBLEM OF CONTROL

Throughout the Ray of Plenty generally and in the western districts in particular ragwort has become a serious menace in pastures (.comments Mr C. Walker, Instructor in Agriculture). It appears to thrive on the lighter pumice soil types, where the free nature of the soil permits of extensive root development. Under such conditions invasion lias been particularly 'rapid and has caused farmers much concern.

During recent years much attention. has been given to control. Meedicides of various types have been used, and of these sodium c hlorate has been most generally employed, both as a spray and an ingredient of a dry mixture with lime. However it is used, tlie best that can be said of this material is that it provides a measure of temporary relief. If it is applied in the late winter or early spring, ragwort is severely checked and may not make an appreciable recovery until the autumn.

This enables farmers to provide reasonably ragwort-free pastures for their dairy stock throughout the high production period of the year. Because of the extensive rooting system of the plants in the light pumice soils there is ' some difficulty in getting complete kills of all secondary roots, so that a. fresh crop of so-called “seedlings” may appear in the autumn following applications of sodium chlorate.

On the steeper hill country spraying and dusting becomes too expensive for general adoption, and on such country farmers have resorted to stocking with old ewes in an endeavour to control the weed. Undoubtedly this method lmd much to commend it, as definite control of the weed can thus, be ejected.

For the present, therefore, it appears that the soundest methods of ragwort control in the Bay of Plenty would consist in late winter and autumn applications of sodium chlorate on dairy pastures, coupled with sheepgrazing control on those parts of the farm which are difficult to spray or which are too remote or steep for dairy cattle.