The Landcare Research scientist heading a study designed to reduce rabbit control costs is urging landowners to be patient after another winter of good results.
Dr Dave Latham told the Otago Daily Times yesterday results from the second year of experimental trials in the Upper Clutha continued to show promise.
However, another two years of study was needed to ensure the new poisoning methods were as effective as current methods.
"We would just like to have that little bit more confidence in it before we go sticking our necks out.
"It's getting to that stage now I guess where everybody's kind of holding their breath in the hope that this is actually going to come off.
"But it's just a little bit early to be overly confident yet."
The trials consist of spreading poisoned bait in strips rather than broadcasting it, with the object of reducing flying costs and the amount of 1080 poison used.
The trials are being done in conjunction with the Otago Regional Council, and regional services group manager Jeff Donaldson said this week the second year of trials had been positive.
"The results are looking as good as they did last year so for two years now we have been getting reasonable results."
Mr Donaldson said follow-up inspections on the three properties involved in the trial would be done before Christmas but already it could be seen this year's trials "complemented last year's".
"It is still looking as though there is an option to reduce the costs in the long term."
Dr Latham said the trial would "push the limits" during the next two years, increasing the distance between strips of bait, to find where the "breaking point" was.
The breaking point would be where too few rabbits got a lethal dose of the poison.
Dr Latham said the effectiveness of the trial methods would never be better than current practice but what they were trying to achieve was a comparable kill at a cheaper price.
