TUSSOCK INSTITUTE RESEARCH GRANTS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 12

TUSSOCK INSTITUTE RESEARCH GRANTS

A research gram has been made by the committee of management of the Tussock Grasslands and Mountain Lands Institute for an investigation to be made into relationships between liveweight and productivity of ewes in the high country. The investigation to be made by the science department of Lincoln College under Professor I. E. Coop. On two properties running Merinos and two with halfbred flocks, maiden ewes will be ear tagged and weighed before going to the ram Later the number of ewes which fail to get into lamb will be determined and, if possible, the ewes which lose their lambs.

Other grants made by the committee of management include assistance for an investigation being made into sorrel in the high country, which is being carried out by Mr W. Harris, a Ph.D. student in the botany department of Canterbury University. In addition to studies of fundamental botanical interest it is hoped information will be obtained on the place of sorrel in soil conservation and its posible use in erosion control. A grant to the entomology department of Lincoln College has enabled a masterate student, Mr E. G. White, to

study insects affecting tussock grassland in the Cass area. In the Last three months Mr White has collected nearly 200,000 insects of more than 400 species, many of which have not been previously recorded in tussock grasslands. Several species have been found damaging basal stems and seed heads of tussocks and several insects in the larval stage have been recorded feeding on roots. A special study is being made of the insect life and damage done on improved areas compared with areas not oversown or topdressed. Miss J. Burrell, of the botany department at Otago University, has been granted assistance for an ecological study of manuka and kanuka in the tussock grasslands Of Otago. Further trials with hybrid creeping lucernes in tussock grasslands will be made with a grant made to the plant science department of Lincoln College by Profesor R. H. M. Langer and Mr C. E. Iversen. More than 9000 plants are now being grown on a North Canterbury farm to produce enough seed for large scale trials. Sulphur and other deficiency studies in tussock country, being carried out by Professor T. W Walker, head of the soil science department of Lincoln College, will be furthered by a grant. Part of this work involves a study of atmospheric returns of sulphur and other elements and a series of stations is being set up on a line from Banks Peninsula to Hokitika for rainfall collection for subsequent analysis. It is possible this rainfall collection will be of use also in the study of fallout from nuclear explosions Mr C. J. Burrows, of the botany department of Canterbury University, has been granted assistance in his studies of Danthonia species normally found in high altitude basins. An officer of the Department of Agriculture, Mr B. J. Molloy, who is making a study of sweet briar for a Ph D degree at Lincoln College. has been made a grant for technical assistance in hi# investigation of one of the worst weeds affecting tussock grasslands.