HIGH-RGRADE SEED PRODUCTION

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25084, 16 January 1947, Page 3

HIGH-RGRADE SEED PRODUCTION

CONTAMINATION SUSPECTED IN DRESSING PROCESS

Concern at reports of contamination occurring during the dressing of some of the high-grade seeds supplied to farmers for pedigree production by the Department of Agriculture was expressed at a meeting of the North Canterbury executive of Federated Farmers yesterday. It was stated that paddocks of stock seed had been completely spoiled by the sudden appearance of Italian ryegrass, which could only have been introduced into .he seed through contact with dressing machinery which had not been properly cleaned after use with ryegrass. The meeting agreed to ask the Department of Agriculturs to ensure that seed dressing should conform with suitable regulations designed to avoid contamination of high-grade seed tn this way. Mr J. W. Earl said some of his pedigree seed had been rejected through the appearance of Italian ryegrass in the paddocks. He had made inquiries, and had found that ryegrass had been passed through the dressing machines before he had obtained his seed. Another of the biggest seed growers in Canterbury had recently had a.similar experience, he said. Should this sort of contamination show ud in New Zealand’s exported seeds, it would be a serious matter.

Mr Earl said he understood that modern dressing machines had facilities for cleaning the hoppers, and with small difficulty the riddlers could also be cleaned out.