Weeds Conference Will Be Held In Christchurch

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 6

Weeds Conference Will Be Held In Christchurch

This year’s weed control conference will be held in Christchurch from July 3 to July 6 in the Caledonian Hall. The conference is open to farmers who become members and they will also receive copies of the proceedings.

The conference is now well established as an important annual gathering when recent developments in research and current field methods are reviewed by leading workers. An important feature this year will be the extension of the conference to include pests of farm crops and pastures. The reason for this is the problem of insecticide residues, and it points to the heed for annual review of pest control and research, either in conjunction with the weeds conference or a separate conference. The conference will include a half-day field trip to Lincoln College and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research station at Lincoln, where a special display will be made of insect control.

Weeds of local importance will be concentrated bn and there will be sessions on recent research work including pesticides. Mr A. R. Dingwall, fields superintendent of the Department of Agriculture in Christchurch, will review papers on Canterbury

weeds, and sweet briar and nodding thistle will be discussed in a paper by Mr E. Delahunty, of the department’s Ashburton office. Nassella tussock in Canterbury and overseas will be described by Mr W. F. Leonard, senior scientific officer of the department in Christchurch, and the chairman of the North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Board (Mr T. G. Maxwell). Weeds of crops and research and field control will be described in other papers, and an interesting paper written by Mr A. D. Lowe, of the entomology division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lincoln, on the compatibility of weedkillers and organophosphorus compounds will be reviewed. Farmers can become members of the conference either by joining at the time of the conference or in advance by applying to the secretary, Box 1500, Wellington. Membership fee is 15s a year and 30s conference fee. Papers reviewed at the conference are circulated well in advance, and it would be preferable to join before the conference.