Thursday, 21 November 2019 11:59

What’s your favourite plant?

Written by  Staff Reporters
Tōtara: the plant of the year? Tōtara: the plant of the year?

Forest owners are urging people to vote for tōtara as plant of the year in a poll being conducted by the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network.

Association president, Peter Weir, says the indigenous tree is probably the best bet for the development of an indigenous planted forestry industry in New Zealand.

“Our industry relies on Radiata pine which grows well everywhere. Tōtara is much the same. It flourishes in a wide range of New Zealand environments and produces an amazing and versatile timber.”

“There’s real interest in Northland in particular in growing tōtara commercially.”

“But for most people it’s a fantastic icon of the pre-settlement podocarp-dominated New Zealand bush and doesn’t need to be harvested to be appreciated.”

Weir suggests that Federated Farmers are also likely to nominate a favourite tree or plant they would want their members to vote for.

“We backed different birds in the Bird of the Year. We wanted the kārearea falcon and the Feds went for the whio duck, but neither of those came in the winner. Maybe one of us will do better this time.”

The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network vote can be found here.

More like this

We're all in it together!

OPINION: Hill Country farmers and foresters have common concerns about regulations and climate change.

Make forestry sector accountable!

OPINION: Towns and cities downstream of large forestry blocks are at high risk of infrastructure damage – costing billions – when major flooding occurs.

Seed banking alone not enough

New research led by a University of Canterbury academic has identified that conventional seed banking alone isn’t enough to conserve all of New Zealand’s endemic plants.

Forestry regs overdue - Feds

Federated Farmers forestry spokesperson Toby Williams says that changes to forestry rules announced yesterday will put power back into the hands of local communities.

Forestry regulations updated

New national standards will give local councils more power to decide where new commercial forests – including carbon forests – are located, to reduce the impacts on communities and the environment, says Environment Minister David Parker.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter