Smart pest control for our Primary Industries

Pest control, whether this be plant or animal pests, represents a significant on-going cost for most farmers. In the bad old days when chemical control agents for pests were limited in their application and selectivity there was a general 'scorched earth' approach that killed all organisms present, both beneficial and pests, in one swoop.

Chemical control agents have come a long way in the last 30 years with much more selectivity by the products on sale. Targeting just the pest while leaving the rest of the ecological system intact has obvious long-term environmental and productivity benefits.

As an alternative to the more traditional chemical control agents for pests the development of appropriate biological control agents for key agricultural pests in New Zealand is becoming more common place.

Put simply a biological control agent is when one organism is used to control another. The beauty of such a system is that once established, pest control of the target organism continues as long as the population of the control agent is maintained. Such control is extremely selective.

Control of the clover root weevil is an excellent example of the development and use of a biological control agent for New Zealand. Introduced accidentally in the 1990s it devastated our clover pastures in many areas of New Zealand. In order to control the clover root weevil a tiny parasitic wasp from Ireland has been introduced and is making a significant contribution to the control of this pasture pest.

Federated Farmers is very supportive of the efforts put into the development and release of bio-control agents. Currently farmers are involved in the Sustainable Farming Fund project aimed at finding a biological control agent for the invasive pasture weed Tutsan in the Central North Island districts. Similarly Federated Farmers have been a key stakeholder group in the release of a biological control agent for the gum leaf skeletoniser in 2011.

Working with natural processes often delivers a good long-term outcome. A combined approach of traditional chemical solutions, clever on-farm management and the use of bio-control agents needs to be co-ordinated to maximise efficient and cost-effective pest control in our agricultural sector.

Tessa Mills is a Regional Policy Adviser for Federated Farmers