Cameron Henderson converted from drystock to dairy in 2011. The light, free draining soils and dry conditions on his Canterbury farm were the perfect conditions for grass grub, and any new pasture was quickly devastated. On the advice of Kaleb Bolton, PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative, Cameron added Nufarm’s controlled release insecticide granule, suSCon® Green, to his agchem programme. Five years on, he’s seeing effective control of grass grub numbers and increased grass growth.



Cameron farms in Oxford, milking 700 cows on 231 ha. In the middle of the Canterbury Plains, the farm is very flat. Pasture is predominantly ryegrass with clover, with a mix of Samson ryegrass, Savvy cocksfoot and clover in the drier areas. With the conversion, much of the farm has been cultivated and re-grassed over the past six years. During the process, Cameron says he’s relied on advice from Kaleb, whom he describes as much more knowledgeable on cropping than he is. 



”Kaleb’s great to work with. His support in the cropping area has been invaluable. We especially appreciate his product knowledge and his ability to make recommendations based on prior experience.”  

Grass grub is a common pest in Canterbury; their effects accentuated by warm, dry periods which limit the growth of pasture but allow continued development of the grass grub larvae. The larvae are at their most destructive during the vital pasture renewal periods, feeding on live plant roots of grasses and clovers¹.



Cameron believes that cultivation destroyed whatever grass grub population inhibitors were in the soil, contributing to a real resurgence of the pest in the drought conditions of 2014. “We not only stirred them up, we gave them some good feed too. Of course, our dry conditions and light soils contributed to a ‘perfect storm’ situation.”

Kaleb recommended suSCon Green to Cameron. “suSCon Green is a slow-release granule, providing long-term control of grass grub and ensuring good establishment of seedlings” he explains. “The long life of the granules protects crops from both first and second year larvae damage, which occurs at very different times of the year. 

“Other products on the market don’t give long-term residual control.” 



The label rate for suSCon Green in new pasture is 15 kg per ha and it is only recommended for drilling in 15 cm rows. This ensures precise placement of the granules in the drill row near the seed, which in turn gives the best level of insecticide protection. suSCon Green can be mixed with seed or applied at drilling via a separate insecticide box.

Cameron re-grasses approximately 15 percent of his farm annually in spring on an eight-year rotation. He drills new seed with suSCon Green, using the product only once per rotation. “We’ve been following this programme for five years now and the results are definitely positive”, Cameron confirms. “We’re certainly getting a good three years protection before seeing grubs come through. Even then, the granules prevent a massive resurgence of grass grub, instead allowing a manageable build-up over time.

“suSCon Green is not a cure for grass grub but it’s an effective management tool.

I’d especially recommend suSCon Green to farmers who are cultivating out of old pasture species, particularly on light soils. It makes a big difference.

®suSCon Green is a registered trademark of Nufarm Technologies USA Pty Ltd.

¹https://www.nufarm.com/assets/35529/1/SuSConGreenbrochure.pdf