Specialist team to target velvetleaf
‘‘Everybody is holding their breath to see how bad it is.’’
Waikato maize growers will soon know how badly the region is affected by velvetleaf because the invasive weed is expected to start appearing in paddocks in October.
Velvetleaf has been discovered on 29 Waikato farms - predominantly in the Te ArohaWaihou area - since it was found in late April this year.
It is suspected to have spread to another 70 farms in the region.
These farms would be closely monitored and a 12-person industry-wide committee was being established to help spearhead velvetleaf management this summer, Waikato Federated Farmers arable chairman John Hodge said.
It would be very interesting to see the weed’s effect this spring.
‘‘Everybody is holding their breath to see how bad it is.’’
Velvetleaf’s potential impact was outlined at a meeting attended by about 30 farmers at Elstow, near Te Aroha.
Waikato Regional Council pest plants team leader Darion Embling said ignoring the risks could come at a huge cost. In the best-case scenario, the region faced a 30 per cent loss of income for the arable industry a decade from now.
’’The arable industry in New Zealand is worth $1.5 billion so you are looking at $500 million per year this country could lose.’’
Dealing with the weed cost the Waikato Regional Council more than $200,000 last year. He said Waikato’s situation was unique because the weed was found in maize as well as fodderbeet.
Elsewhere, velvetleaf had been found only in fodderbeet. Key to containing it in summer would be management plans specific to the farms where fodderbeet was found.
Its discovery in maize meant it could potentially be spread to other farms through sales of maize grain and silage for cattle, chickens, goats and pigs.
Velvetleaf seeds could become mixed in the feed, eaten and spread onto the farm in dung. A successful response required a collective effort from farmers, the wider industry, and local and central government.
The place to break the cycle was at the beginning on the maize crop, Embling said.
That meant ramping up farm biosecurity by regularly checking crops for unusual weeds and establishing wash-down stations to clean machinery. ‘‘Treat the property like it’s a border, like it’s an island.’’