Keep eyes peeled for black grass

Mid Canterbury farmers have been urged to be vigilant in 
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Mid Canterbury farmers have been urged to be vigilant in looking for black grass this season after seeds were spilled in July last year.

If there is any chance of the invasive plant pest black grass appearing in Mid Canterbury, it is most likely to show its face this season, according to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

Mid Canterbury farmers have been urged to be vigilant in continuing to look for signs of black grass as a monitoring programme enters its second season.

This follows the spilling of contaminated grass seed in July last year when it was being transported from Tinwald to Methven.

The spilt seed was potentially contaminated with a small quantity of viable black-grass seed, a pest plant not found in New Zealand. Black grass, also known as slender meadow foxtail, is an invasive plant that affects winter crops in Europe, including winter wheat, grass seed, rapeseed, forage legumes and barley. It has developed resistance to many herbicides used for grass weed control.

David Clark, Federated Farmers grain and seed vice-chairman, said while the Ministry for Primary Industries' (MPI) response team found no sign of black grass last season, the district was not out of the woods yet.

The plant pest was proving to be one of the toughest weeds to control on European and United Kingdom cropping farms, Mr Clark said.

''Our arable farmers are world leaders and in mid-Canterbury they are at the centre of ensuring this threat doesn't become a reality. It is paramount we maintain a biosecurity system that ensures harmful pests and diseases are kept out of New Zealand.

''It is estimated that the direct sales from arable production were $868 million in 2011, in a report commissioned by the Arable Foods Industry Council in 2012. The indirect impact from suppliers to arable producers brought arable sales up to $2.2 billion, with a total contribution to GDP at approximately $959 million.

''A biosecurity breach of any magnitude could seriously impede our ability to remain a productive part of the New Zealand economy, and is why MPI and industry partners have been working together to mitigate this biosecurity risk,'' Mr Clark said.

Vigilance during spring and summer would be crucial to stop the noxious weed from establishing in Mid-Canterbury, the MPI said.

''We didn't find any black grass last season and are confident that if it were there, the operations team would have found it,'' response manager, Brad Chandler said.

''Everyone involved, including the public, needs to remain particularly vigilant and keep a lookout.''

This season's operations are scheduled to start the week of October 13 and finish the week of March 23, 2015. They will be similar to last year, involving nine rounds of surveillance along the spillage route, three rounds of grass mowing along roadside verges, and herbicide spraying.

Mr Chandler asked the public to stay alert for any signs of black grass along the spillage route and to report anything they suspect may be black grass to the MPI pest and disease hotline on 0800-809-966.

''The public has been really supportive to date, and we're hoping this will continue as we value their support and know how important it is to the success of the response,'' he said.

Information on how to identify black grass is available on the MPI website - http://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity-animal-welfare/pests-diseases/help-st....

The response is in partnership with Federated Farmers, the Foundation for Arable Research, Canterbury Regional Council (ECan), Ashburton District Council, New Zealand Grain & Seed Trade Association and PGG Wrightson.

The spillage of the seed cost PGG Wrightson Seeds $57,000 in fines and up to $300,000 for the monitoring programme. The company was fined for two breaches of the Biosecurity Act in charges laid by the MPI.

- by Maureen Bishop 

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