MORE TRIALS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 219, 28 June 1947, Page 6

MORE TRIALS

AGAINST PORINA MOTH AND GRASS GRUB ACTIVITY IX ASIIBURTOX COUNTY Further trials of baits aimed at eontrolling the ravages of the porina moth and the grass grub have been laid down in the Ashburton County, and others are planned by officers of the enomological sub-station of the entomology division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

About the end of April and at the beginning of May trials with D.D.T. and Gammexane dust were laid down, Mr J. M. Kelsey (officer in charge of the, Ashburton station) told a “Guardian” reporter this morning. These trials, which are aimed against the grass grub, include two concentrations of each type of dust, and each concentration is duplicated five times on account of the variation in concentration of the grub in the experimental area. These trials, like the ones recently conducted against porina moth, are located at Seafield. The results of the trials against the moth are expected to be available in Ashburton before very long. The digging up of the latest trial for careful investigation of the effects is overdue, but the work has been held up by the weather. A further series of trials against the porina are envisaged, according to Mr Kelsey. This series, which in all probability will not be laid down until next February or March, will have as a base sawdust which, while alone with paris green is useless, will be doctored up with high vitamin B flour, wheatgerm and sweet-smelling oils. Production of Economical Bait An important object of this trial will be to produce a bait that is an economical proposition for farmers on the lighter types of land. It is hoped to find a satisfactory bait that can be administered at a cost to the landholder of not more than 10s an acre. Another important aspect of these trials is the development of a bait that can' be put on the land with the farmer’s own machinery without any unnecessary inconvenience. Experimentation is also being carried out at Ealing with 2 per cent. DDT in superphosphate. - One trial has already been laid down in strip fashion, treated and untreated strips being located side by side for comparative purposes. Another trial in this category is also planned for lighter land. Mr Kelsey said that it was hoped to get manufacturers of superphosphate to include DDT and Gammexane in their ..commodity. Another trial at Seafield, including the use of DDT and Gammexane, is against a combination of grass grub and porina moth, and was laid down at the time farmers were drilling wheat or sowing down pasture.

In trials against specifically porina moth or grass grub, Mr Kelsey pointed out that difficulty had been experienced because of infestation of the other pest. Mr Kelsey also mentioned that it was hoped to extend trials to the heavier class of land as well as the lighter class. RESULT OF TRIALS SOUGHT QUESTION OF AUTHORISATION OF BRAN The results of trials, of various types of baits in the poisoning of the porina moth, conducted recently at Seafield by the officers of the entomological substation of the entomology division of the Department of Agriculture, are to be sought by the Agricultural Section of Mid-Canterbury federated Farmers, according to a decision of the section yesterday afternoon.

"It has been arranged for the Wheat and Flour Controller to release certain quantities of bran to farmers, -subject to a supporting statement in each instance from a local officer of the Fields Division that the quantity applied for is required for porina poisoning purposes on a seriously affected area,” stated a letter from the Hon. E. L. Cullen (Minister of Agriculture) received by the Agricultural Section of Federated Farmers at its annual meeting last month. Mr A. D. McLauchlan (Methvenf reported that Mr G. K. McPherson (Instructor of Agriculture in Ashburton) had told hie brother that he could not grant permission for bran unless he was satisfied that the farmer was short of feed, regardless of the ravages of the grub. Mr McLauchlan asked whether the department was -working on the basis of whether or not a farmer was going to be short of feed. Mr J. G. Hannah (secretary) reported that Mr McPherson had received six applications for bran.