Spring pasture renewal or renovation after grass grub/porina damage?

Region: Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu, Whanganui, Wellington, Marlborough, Nelson/Tasman, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, Southland

For spring sowing or renovating pastures badly affected by grass grub or porina over winter consider direct drilling. This will preserve naturally occurring diseases of these pests that are building up in the soil and which will provide long-term population regulation. Leave sowing as late as possible as both pests, may still be feeding and could devastate establishing seedlings. Be aware that slugs and clover root weevil may also be present in damaging numbers.

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Yellow bristle grass? Consider forage crops.

Region: Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato

If your run-out pasture was infested with summer-active grass weeds (such as yellow bristle grass) last summer, consider growing a forage crop for one or two summers prior to sowing the perennial pasture. This provides the opportunity to selectively spray the summer-active grasses and prevent weed seeds from replenishing the seed bank and infesting newly sown pastures.

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Select endophyte for spring sowing.

Region: Nelson/Tasman, Marlborough, Canterbury, West Coast, Otago, Southland.

If ordering grass seed for spring sowing select suitable endophytes and check that the endophyte you select has been assessed in the grass variety you order. In ryegrass, AR1 and AR37, and diploids with NEA2, will protect against Argentine stem weevil, AR37, Endo5 and NEA2 against black beetle and AR37 against porina. See DairyNZ Pasture Renewal Guide for a guide to endophyte selection or the Dairy NZ cultivar selector.

Endophyte levels in the seed should be at least 70% and have been assessed in the last 3 months.

Social tagging: AgPest > Direct Drilling > Endophyte > Grass grub > Pasture Damage > Pest Alert > Porina > Weed Alert