Why Control Rushes?
Jeanelle Cooke, Countryside Management Branch, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)
Rush is abundant throughout Northern Ireland and it is ubiquitous in moist situations with poorly drained soils.
The soft rush is most widespread and forms tussocks that extend by means of the short creeping rhizomes from which new shoots and ultimately new plants arise. It flowers from June to August. An average plant may produce in excess of 700,000 seeds which can remain viable in soil for more than 20 years.
When allowed to grow into dense stands on semi-natural grassland, rushes shade out other plants therefore reducing the species diversity and productivity of the sward. However, things are not all bad. A light covering of rush can bring benefits to wildlife. Breeding waders such as snipe, curlew and lapwing need cover for nesting and protecting their chicks. Rushes also provide cover for the Irish hare.
Control is a particular concern for farmers who are participants of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Scheme or the Countryside Management Scheme (CMS). As part of their agreements, rush control must be carried out on fields which have over one third cover. Trials examining rush cutting regimes found that it was more effective to cut in late July rather than before July, and when followed by a second cut in the autumn, for two successive years, approximately 80 percent of the rush cover was eliminated.
The table below gives details of the permitted methods of rush control for land under agri-environment agreement.
| Improved grassland/arable | Unimproved grassland | Breeding wader/lapwing breeding sites | Species rich grassland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall application of herbicide | Yes | No | No | No |
| Weed piper application of herbicide | Yes | Yes (1) | No (2) | No (2) |
| Rush control by cutting | Any time | Preferably between 15 July & 15 March (1) | Between 15 July & 15 March only | Between 15 July & 15 March only |
1. On unimproved grassland, avoid rush cutting or weed wiping between 15 March and 15 July to protect ground nesting birds.
2. On breeding wader or species rich grassland sites, if ground conditions do not permit rush cutting, contact Countryside Management Branch (CMB) for further advice. Prior written approval must be obtained from CMB before any alternative method of rush control is used on these sites.
If you have any queries regarding rush control under your ESA or CMS agreement, please contact Countryside Management staff at your local DARD office.