WILT DISEASE IN TOBACCO
Investigations Bv D.S.I.R.
(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. August 25.
Officers of the D.S I.R. are closely watching the effect of verticillium wilt, a serious disease affecting tobacco, but they are convinced it will not be a major threat to the New Zealand industry.
Mr A. M. Baumgart, principal scientific officer of the department and a member of the Tobacco Research Committee, said today that the disease occurred only in spots and growers could avoid it by planting in other areas while small spots could be controlled by fumigation. The tobacco research station at Riwaka was making good progress in developing a strain of tobacco resistant to the wilt, he said.
Because growers could transfer crops to non-affected areas there had been no noticeable decline in tobacco production.
The fungus is a fairly common one to a wide host range, including peach, potato, strawberry, tomato, egg plant and similar crops. It attacks crops through the roots, eventually wilting the leaves.
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Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28983, 26 August 1959, Page 14
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164WILT DISEASE IN TOBACCO Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28983, 26 August 1959, Page 14
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