The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approved the release of the rust fungus Uromyces pencanus as a biological control agent for the weed Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana, CNG) in July 2024.
The rust fungus was released in Marlborough on 7 October and there are further planned releases to come in Canterbury – both areas with significant CNG infestation. Our weeds biocontrol scientists hope that this will eventually be a game-changer for farmers against CNG, which has sharp seeds with a corkscrew-like awn that can penetrate the hides of livestock, cause blindness in stock, compete for nutrients from pasture, and adversely affect farm production.
