James Cromie farms 800 hectares of rolling land in the Waihoa Downs area near Waimate. Having taken over the family farm from his father—who remains actively involved—James is committed to maintaining and improving the productivity of the property.
The deep Temuka loam soils provide excellent fertility, supporting a mixed sheep and beef operation where he finishes as many stock as possible.
Beyond farming, James enjoys hunting, fishing, boating, and a good beer, though his young family comes first. His two daughters attend the same local Waihoa school he once did, keeping strong ties to the community.
Managing Thistle Challenges
With the farm’s high fertility and reliable rainfall, Californian thistles have become an increasing challenge, impacting both grazing availability and stock health. The persistent seed bank has led to continued spread, despite James’ past efforts to manage the problem through paddock topping and winter spraying of Nodder thistles with 2,4-D.
In summer, James has been using Versatill for Californian thistle control, but results have been inconsistent. Seeking a more effective solution, he has opted to trial Tordon PastureBoss to improve long-term control and implement a follow-up program. His goal is to reduce thistle pressure, improve pasture productivity, and maximize the grazing potential of his land.
Through this trial, James hopes to gain better control over Californian thistles and create a more productive, sustainable future for his farm.
With an average of 26 thistle stems per square metre James is looking forward to reducing his thistle pressure, improving pasture productivity and maximizing the potential of his land. Keep revisiting as we post more progress photos as the programme progresses.
For expert advice on Californian Thistle control or help tailoring this programme to your farm talk to your Corteva Agriscience Territory Manager or your local PGG Wrightson Technical Representative.
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