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Ragwort
Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is a native of Europe and Asia, first introduced to New Zealand in 1874, has widely established itself throughout New Zealand.
It is a particular problem in dairying areas as it reduces the productivity of the land. Ragwort is unpalatable to most stock, particularly toxic to cattle and horses, and may taint milk and honey.
What does it look like?
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Ragwort is a biennial herb, growing up to one metre tall. Peak germination occurs in autumn with the main flowering season in summer with seasonal variances (eg. rainfall) resulting in significant changes in infestation levels.
Flowers Bright yellow during summer.
Seeds Each plant can produce over 50,000 seeds that remain viable for at least eight years. Ragwort reproduces from crowns, roots and seeds and can be spread by livestock and in contaminated hay.
Where can you find it?
Ragwort is widespread throughout the Waikato Region and is essentially a pest in pastoral areas. It is also common on waste land, river beds, swamps and open forests, preferring high rainfall areas. When well established, ragwort can quickly dominate pasture, almost to the extent of excluding other plants.
Responsibility for control
Our Regional Pest Management Strategy aims to reduce and contain infestations in existing areas, and prevent spread into un-infested pasture. The sale, propagation or distribution of ragwort is prohibited.
Ragwort is declared a total control plant pest in the Waipa, Hauraki and Thames-Coromandel District and in Hamilton City. It is also total control in parts of the Franklin, Waikato, Matamata-Piako, South Waikato and Otorohanga Districts. Total control requires the removal/control of all plants.
Ragwort is a boundary control plant pest for all other parts of the above districts and the whole of the Waikato, Taupo and Rotorua Districts. Boundary control requires a 50 metre property boundary clearance distance. See the map below showing control areas.
All land owners/occupiers are responsible for the control of ragwort on their land.
Controlling ragwort
Mechanical removal
· Grubbing
· Cutting
· Mowing
Useful for small infestations or as an emergency method to prevent seeding, but not recommended as a total control method. Ragwort will re-grow from any root fragment left in the ground, often forming larger multi-crown plants, which may become harder to remove.
The best time to use these methods is when the plants are flowering, as less re-growth will occur. Flower heads that are removed must be burnt to prevent seeds from ripening. Continuous grazing by sheep helps control ragwort, but doesn't completely eradicate it.
Chemical control
An effective form of ragwort control, provided correct application rates of chemicals are used.
· 'blanket' spray plants in winter time
· follow-up with 'spot' spraying mature plants prior to flowering (October, November).
Spot-spraying can be carried out successfully at any time up until flowering. Information on herbicides available for ragwort control can be obtained from your Plant Pest Officer.
Note Herbicides that effectively control ragwort may also suppress clover, reducing pasture production. Overall boom spraying or blanket spraying of pasture is normally carried out in winter. Spraying at this time can cause some clover suppression, but can usually be tolerated for the sake of good ragwort control.
Biological control
Biological control involves the importation of insects or fungi that feed on these plants in their native countries. A national Biological Control Programme is run by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research.
Environment Waikato supports the national programme, and maintains a local Biological Control Programme for the Waikato Region.
Ragwort Flea Beetle
The most significant impact on ragwort Biological Control Agent for the control of ragwort is the Ragwort Flea Beetle, found at a number of sites around the Waikato Region. The natural dispersal of Ragwort Flea Beetle is slow, therefore the spread of the beetle is assisted artificially through collection and re-release to other areas. For information on the Biological Control Programme, contact your Plant Pest Officer.
Pasture management
Practices that should avoid or minimise plant pest invasion
· Avoid excessive pasture irrigation.
· Apply lime to maintain the soil pH between 5.5 and 6.0.
· Maintain soil fertility by applying nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium wisely.
· Avoid excessive effluent irrigation.
· During wet seasons, spread effluent thinly over a large area.
Ragwort was another of the worst four weeds in New Zealand earlier this century. It displaces pasture and is toxic to stock.
Three biocontrol agents attack ragwort
Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) only established in the lower North Island. Because the caterpillar stage can heavily defoliate plants, moths collected from the lower North Island were released again widely in the 180s. As a result, they now have an increased (but patchy) distribution throughout New Zealand.
A fly (Botanophila jacobaeae) that feeds on the seeds as also released in the 10s. The fly established in the centre of the North Island but little effort has been made to increase its distribution as its impact is too small.
The ragwort flea beetle (Longitarsus jacobaeae), released nearly 60 years later, damages the roots and crown of rosette plants. Field observations suggest that the beetle has dramatically reduced ragwort populations at many sites, often only 4 5 years after release, and this impact has been confirmed by field trials.
The results currently being achieved in New Zealand reflect a similar successful programme in the USA where ragwort infestations have been reduced in many places by to %.
Good results are being achieved in Australia with L. jacobaeae and another closely-related beetle (L. flavicornis).
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