Lighting A Fire Under Wildings - And Learning From It

Lighting A Fire Under Wildings - And Learning From ItHon Andrew HoggardMinister for BiosecurityA recent 50 hectare-controlled burn of wilding conifers in Central Otago is another step in exploring all options to rid landowners of the invasive weeds, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard. “Wilding pines are invasive weeds that take over farmland and conservation areas, locking up land that could be productive. The recent controlled burn was scientifically monitored by Scion Group, part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute and the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme’s ongoing research work. The idea of burning wildings is to clear areas where land has been rendered useless by the likes of Contorta pine, to get it back into productive use. If successful, this will reduce the need, and cost of future control efforts.”Scientific equipment around the designated area for the controlled burn took a range of measurements before, and during the burn.