THE PORINA PEST

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23717, 15 August 1942, Page 3

THE PORINA PEST

EFFECTIVE AND CHEAP TREATMENT Practical experience gained by the staff of Lincoln College has demonstrated that a method for combating the destructive porina pest has reached a very satisfactory degree of effectiveness. The pest possibly has done more to destroy good pastures in certain localities than any other known soil enemy. Some years ago a number of farmers had to reduce their flocks because of the autumn attacks, of the porina destroying their pasture, the toll taken by it of new grass being particularly heavy in conditions favourable to it. The definite statement in the report of the director of the Board of Governors at this week’s meeting therefore makes satisfactory reading for farmers. The director stated that the serious attack of porina had been checked successfully through the use of poison bait. The initial application was only partly successful owing to the occurrence of rain shortly after application. The second application was followed by a period of fine weather and proved effective in diminishing the severity of the attack. Some valuable stands of grasses and clovers which otherwise would have been a complete loss had been saved by this method. The initial indication of the practicability of the method was obtained from preliminary work carried out about three years ago by officers of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The treatment consisted of the use of 301b bran, lib Paris Green, and half a gallon of molasses an acre. The dry material was first mixed, and then the molasses were added with sufficient water to produce a meal-like mixture. It was expected that this would have to be spread by hand, but actually it was found that it could be applied satisfactorily with both the horse and truck top-dressers, this greatly reducing the cost and time of application. Stock should not be put on treated areas until rain had fallen. The cost of the material had amounted to less than 4s an acre. There was no doubt, concluded the report, that the more general use of the material would result in saving a large number of valuable pastures throughout the country.