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Story: Weeds of agriculture

Chemical control of gorse

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Chemical control of gorse

There has probably been more money spent on chemical control of gorse in New Zealand than on any other weed. This is because gorse seeds can exist in soil for many years, so repeated spraying and good pasture management are needed to finally get rid of them. Using gorse seed weevils and gorse spider mites as biological controls are having some effect.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1980/0169/19

by John Nicholson

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Ian Popay, Weeds of agriculture – Weed control, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/16490/chemical-control-of-gorse (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ian Popay, published 1 March 2009.