Horehound BioControl Update 4

Greetings all,

It is time to update you that the EPA application is progressing well. We are awaiting confirmation of details for two more issues and finishing touches of quality checks before lodging the application with the EPA. We will post an update here as soon as the application has been lodged, because the formal consultation period will begin very shortly after. An important component of the application is the analysis of the economics of horehound to farming in New Zealand – a bit more about that below:

It is once again an opportunity to thank the great many of you who responded to the survey of the economics of horehound in the context of dryland, hill- and high-country farming in New Zealand.
The survey results are now available as a brief report (PDF 1.0 MB).

In a nutshell:

• Ninety-five land owners/managers, mainly from Canterbury and Otago, responded to the survey, covering land area estimated as 7% of the South Island high- and hill-country farms.
• Horehound turned out to be a problem in both lucerne and other pasture types.
• Horehound infestation covered a median 3.8% of the land (meaning that in half the properties horehound infestation was 3.8% or lower and in the other half of properties horehound infestation was 3.8% or higher).
• Costs of horehound to farming operations were associated with control (chemical and non-chemical), lost production, contamination of wool, pasture replacement, sub-optimal grazing regime (to avoid horehound at critical times), and other opportunity costs.

In Conclusion

• A conservative estimate of the cost of horehound to dryland high- and hill-country farming reached $6.85 million per annum.
• This estimate is considered an underestimate because several identified cost factors were not possible to quantify from the survey

The survey is still accessible for new entries here.

All blog posts and reports associated with this programme are now listed on the Horehound BioControl page.
Please feel free to share this update!

Best wishes,
Ronny & Gavin