Selwyn Times: March 07, 2018
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SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi<br />
Wednesday [Edition <strong>March</strong> 7 datE] <strong>2018</strong> 37 3<br />
SELWYN RURAL LIFE<br />
Help needed to stop the<br />
spread of aggressive plant<br />
Environment Canterbury is calling for<br />
landowners to stop the spread of yellow<br />
bristle grass, an aggressive annual seeding<br />
plant which spreads rapidly through<br />
pasture, reducing pasture quality.<br />
Principal resource management advisor<br />
biosecurity Laurence Smith said they<br />
needed landowners to help stop the spread<br />
in Canterbury.<br />
“To stop yellow bristle grass becoming<br />
a major pest in Canterbury, we are asking<br />
landowners to please be vigilant and report<br />
any suspected sightings to Environment<br />
Canterbury as soon as possible.<br />
“There are currently two known<br />
infestations of yellow bristle grass in<br />
Canterbury – one in Sefton and the<br />
other in Scargill, both bordering railway<br />
crossings. It is likely that seeds may have<br />
been spread by contaminated machinery<br />
working on the crossings,” Mr Smith said.<br />
Yellow bristle grass is already widespread<br />
throughout the North Island, where it<br />
affects mainly dairy farmers by reducing<br />
pasture quality and utilisation in late<br />
summer and autumn. Cows don’t willingly<br />
eat it, and grazing avoidance leads to<br />
seeding and rapid spread and opening for<br />
other weeds.<br />
The fast spread of yellow bristle grass<br />
across the North Island is largely due to<br />
contaminated vehicles and machinery,<br />
water, soil movements, and as contaminants<br />
of hay and maize. Yellow bristle grass seeds<br />
can pass through the rumen and be spread<br />
in dung.<br />
How to identify yellow bristle<br />
grass<br />
Yellow bristle grass is currently seeding<br />
and therefore easier to identify. The seed<br />
head is a cylindrical spike, between 2.5-<br />
10cm long, and becomes a golden brown<br />
colour once mature.<br />
Leaves are yellow-green in colour and<br />
usually red or purple at the base.<br />
If you suspect you<br />
have found yellow<br />
bristle grass, please<br />
contact Environment<br />
Canterbury<br />
immediately on<br />
0800 324 636.<br />
Sighted yellow bristle grass?<br />
If you suspect you have found yellow<br />
bristle grass, please contact Environment<br />
Canterbury immediately on 0800 324 636.<br />
You can prevent the spread of pests<br />
like yellow bristle grass by having a farm<br />
biosecurity plan in place on your property.<br />
Yellow bristle grass is included in<br />
Canterbury’s proposed Regional Pest<br />
Management Plan as an ‘eradication’<br />
pest, with the objective of eradicating all<br />
infestations from the region over the life of<br />
the plan.<br />
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