The headline “Research identifies weed as a billion-dollar potential threat” (Rural News, February 1, 2024) refers to the potential sleeper weed Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana) that is now established in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Marlborough. This should be seen as an alert.
The East Coast district will soon be on that list, and already has a number of established pest weeds, many on flat land. We have significant and spreading infestations of Californian thistle, dog daisy, pampas, blackberry, gorse and kikuyu.
It took me 35 years to get rid of variegated thistles on our station with a shovel and burying the ripe thistle heads deeply.
Many of the above weeds, on flat land, can be mown with a tractor before they flower and seed. Some of these weeds have millions of seed that can germinate and disperse widely in the wind.
I have seen what kikuyu can do in Northland as I visited a farm in 2002 and again 20 years later. The whole farm had kikuyu grass that had replaced the clover and rye grass, meaning there was no winter pasture growth, so winter crops needed to be sown and maintained.
