BUND SEED DISEASES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30325, 28 December 1963, Page 10

BUND SEED DISEASES

Testing At Timaru

Results of tests of ryegrass samples for blind seed disease so far at the Timaru substation of the Department of Agriculture's seed-testing station at Palmerston North had indicated that there did not appear to be anything to worry about, said Miss J. Healy, analyst in charge of the sub-station, yesterday. Most of the samples submitted have shown no infection at all, or only a trace. But samples are coming to hand only slowly and Miss Healy does not think that the station will handle as many as last year. With a staff of five the substation was established at Timaru on December 17. It serves all of the South Island except Nelson and Marl- ’ rough. So far about 150 samples have been received, mainly from the Christchurch and Ashburton districts. At the same stage last season some 800 samples had been received, and by the time the sub-station closed on January 16 the tally was up to about 1700, but Miss Healy says it does not seem that as many will be handled this season. The heaviest level of infection noted so far is onefifth, which represents between 15 and 24 infected seeds in 100. Where up to four seeds in 100 are infected the level of infection is described as a trace, and where between five and 14 are infected the infection is described as one-tenth. Blind seed disease is a fungus disease which affects Germination. It spreads in a crop right up to the time the seed is ripe and for this reason farmers are urged not to submit samples until a crop is close to harvesting. The disease is also spread by rain.